# LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, t 

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| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, f 



THE 



Relation Existing 



BBTWEEIST 



GOD AND MAN; 



OR, 



*JVlYgTE^IE£ Ifi %ION ^EVE^JLED. 



BY .AJQjFIiEID OTTO. 






1876., 

or 



• 






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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year, 18767 by 

ALFRED OTTO, 
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Man has received a certain amount of capabili- 
ties, which, if he makes use of within his own 
strength, are capable of producing a certain amount 
of possibilities or a certain amount of effects. All 
proficiency in the professions, arts, sciences, and 
all branches of learning, belong to this nature or 
order of exertion ; but the spiritual truths that this 
book contains cannot be procured by or through 
education, or any exertion man makes within his 
own strength. It does not belong to that nature or 
order of exertion, but must be revealed to the heart 
and mind. This book contains truths and mys- 
teries of the spiritual world, which are, by God's 
grace, revealed and explained — which truths and 
mysteries exist within the nature of the relation 
existing between God and man, and principles 
concerned in, or connected with the salvation of 



man, and which also verifies the truthfulness of 
the Christian religion by its agreeing with human 
nature and with nature in the spiritual world of 
man's existence as he advances onward and on- 
ward toward the Heavenly Gates, — which all is a 
revelation and explanation of Divine law in its 
different natures and bearings, so far as therein re- 
vealed ; so, then, all that is revealed and explained 
in this book, concerning the salvation of man, 
has not been revealed and explained by the power 
of man and after the will of the flesh, nor through 
the imagination of the mind, but by the grace of 
God declaring the truth and the law, which con- 
cerns every accountable soul — for the law cannot 
fail. 



CHAPTER I 



TRUTHS AND MYSTEI&ES OF ZION. 

None too good, for all men must be born again or 
be regenerated before they can enter into the King- 
dom of Heaven. Our Heavenly Father has sent 
unto man many servants, and they rejected them- 
all, and did reserve His only Son, His all, for the 
last, and if we reject His only Son, his last, we 
reject our all by rejecting our only and last 
opportunity to be redeemed from this guilt of sin, 
the origin of death in man. I once was spiritually 
dead to God, but now 1 am spiritually alive to 
God, by being regenerated, spiritually reborn by 
the grace and power of God through our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ, which causes me to be 
fully acquainted with the nature and feeling a 
man possesses in either case, when he is in his 
carnally minded and natural condition, and 



6 



when he is in his holy naturecl and minded con- 
dition. Since I have sought after this salvation I 
have not been lukewarm, but I have wholly 
walked with God as far as I knew how, or as I 
was taught by the Scriptures and through the 
Holy Spirit. I did not serve God one moment 
and Satan the next moment, for I have continu- 
ally strove 'to be closer to 'God, because it is alto- 
gether lovely, for itdevelqpes the nobelest nature in 
man, and by the grace of God' I will continually 
strive to become more and more perfect in Christ 
Jesus by surrendering my heart to the Holy Spirit, 
so that the law of pure and holy love can be more 
and more developed therein, which w T orketh perfec- 
tion. The Holy Scriptures and the method 
therein adopted for the salvation of man are truth, 
and originate from God. 

Oh, man ! is the crucifixion of the Son of God 
of so little importance — being passed by, barely 
noticed by the world ? Was his sufferings, sor- 
rows, grief and pain, all endured only for the sake 
of formality ? No ; but for the sake of nature ; 
for the sake of the very nature or law existing 
within me to-day which was placed there through 



regeneration by faith, which faith I received 
through his teachings and death. But the worldly 
cannot know that nature or law until they taste of it. 
As deep as did the Saviour's grief, sorrow, suffering 
and pain penetrate into his nature, must also his 
virtues penetrate into the nature of our souls. He 
bore the grief and pain so that we might bear his 
virtues, if we only believe. Oh, man ! the whole 
matter is a question of nature ; nature being con- 
cerned, and will you continue to war against 
nature, or will you bend to it ? Who is this God 
that man wants him to bend His will to him ? 
Does man give Him life, or does He depend on 
man for existence ? No ; man depends on Him 
for his existence, life and being ; so man must also 
bend his will to Him ; but He does not want us to 
bend our will to Him unless we feel so inclined, 
because He created us free-will beings, and He 
wants us to remain such. 



CHAPTER II, 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Some men say that they do not believe in God 
as a being, but they acknowledge nature as God — 
denying that God is the God of nature, or that 
nature is His laws. If all our buildings have 
come into existence without a controlling mind, a 
guiding and constructing hand ; if all our greatest 
engineering problems have come into existence 
without a controlling mind, a guiding and con- 
structing hand ; if all our productions from the 
different arts have come into existence without a 
controlling mmd, a guiding and constructing hand, 
then there is no living God. The ax might as well 
boast of its chopping, as for man to deny the ex- 
istence of a living God, Supreme Being, designer, 
creator, and controller of all things. Cast your 



9 



eyes heavenward on a bright moonlight night, and 
see the beauty and magnificence displayed in that 
starry firmament. Then consider the harmony 
existing in the movement of the planets. Then 
reflect over the earth's motion — its orbital velocity 
equals 65,228 miles per hour, and it not being no- 
ticeable to us. Then reflect over that great planet 
Jupiter, whose diameter is about 85,000 miles, and 
its bulk nearly 1,250 times that of the earth, is 
accompanied by four moons, and passing through 
space at the rate of 28,743 miles an hour. Then 
reflect over that beautiful planet Saturn, sur- 
rounded by a series of rings of solid matter, and 
accompanied in its course around the sun by 
eight satellites; and all this complicated system 
moves with a common motion, so exact that no 
part interferes with another in their orbital revolu- 
tion ; and this planet moves in its orbit around the 
sun at the rate of 21,220 miles per hour, and is 700 
times greater in volume than the earth. Astrono- 
mers say that the observer, when first viewing this 
object, when it can be seen to the best advantage 
through a good telescope, is always possessed of 
admiration. Oh ! the magnitude and variation, 



10 



the designing hand and controlling mind existing 
in that creation, and the variations existing there 
for causes and reasons unknown to us! Then 
again look at that great luminary, the sun, cast- 
ing its light, warmth and heat down upon this 
earth, at the immense distance of upward of 
ninety millions of miles. Then consider the great 
mind, capability and possibilities man possesses. 
Then unfold the book of nature and you will see 
the designing hand, the handiwork of God, all 
around you. Will a man look at all this displayed 
before him and then deny the existence of a living 
God, a Supreme Being, designer, creator and con- 
troller of all things ? Then should we not rever- 
ence and pay our homage to such a great power of 
wisdom, truth and holiness that created and con- 
trols all this ? It would not be misplaced, as it 
often is with man, because God is not deceitful, but 
truth — everlasting truth. God being our creator, 
our merciful Heavenly Father, we should humble 
ourselves to him and be willing to be taught by 
Him, as little children, because He knows exactly 
what we require to make us forever happy, and 
what is required to prevent upcleanness and 



11 



untruth to penetrate into His spiritual kingdom, as 
well as He knows what laws are required in the 
material or natural world to bless us with the 
light and warmth of the sun every day. 



CHAPTER III. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

If a chemist, by experimenting in chemistry, 
has made h certain discovery, and having experi- 
mented on it a number of times, always using the 
same methods and elements, and it having always 
produced the same results, it must then be truth • 
it has then become a chemical fact — a recognized 
law in chemistry. Then look at the worldly per- 
sons in their carnally minded and natural condi- 
tion — the deviation existing there; the different 



12 



degrees existing in their moral characters; the want 
of unity ; the strife, deceit, betrayal of confidence, 
and confusion that exists there, and therefore un- 
truth. Then look at the Christians : I do not 
mean those that profess to be and are not, but 
those that have been reborn of the spirit, having 
complied with the Saviour's commandment, which 
reads thus: "Ye must be born again to see the 
Kingdom of God." These Christians will always 
testify the same ; that heretofore they never knew 
what real happiness consisted in ; that heretofore 
they never knew what religious freedom consisted 
in ; that they loved every one and hated no one but 
the evil spirit ; and loved all that our Lord and 
Saviour represents — honesty, truth, virtue, right- 
eousness and holyness, and not only loved it with 
respect but with a Christian love, a heart filled with 
charity, which is purity, concord and unity, and 
therefore truth. This religion, revealed through 
Jesus Christ, ha3 made the hardest hearts tender 
and lovely, when they once possessed it; it has cor- 
rected and purified the most depraved hearts when 
they once possessed it ; it has cured the most in- 
temperate when the heart once possessed it. And 



13 



when these changes are once brought about it is 
not the fear of God and the hope of Heaven, nor 
any unnatural restraint, that keeps them in that 
purified and corrected condition, but it is the 
change qf their nature; which gives them pleasure 
to comply with these changes, and causes them to 
be permanent and be a reality. So, then, if be- 
coming a Christian in spirit and in truth, by being 
reborn of the spirit through our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ, always produces such effects, with- 
out variation, then there must be a fundamental 
truth at the bottom of it. It shows just as 
much truth as does that chemical fact, that 
recognized chemical law in chemistry; but in 
this case the transaction takes place in the spir- 
itual world, instead of the material or natural 
world ; spiritual methods and elements are being 
used instead of profane, because the soul or spirit 
is being administered to. Methods are being 
used that are naturally incomprehensible to us, 
because we are the creature and not the creator ; 
but we can test and know the quality of that 
spiritual compound by the change that is wrought 
within our heart and nature ; but the worldly and 



14 



carnal minded can never know the quality of that 
spiritual compound until they come into possession 
of it. 



CHAPTER IV. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

We elect rulers to devise, enact and enforce laws 
for our government, all for our special benefit, 
and man derives a great benefit through it if the 
rulers prove themselves worthy. God wishes to 
govern us, not for his benefit alone, but for our 
benefit and happiness, and not by enacted and 
enforced laws, but by laws of nature or holy love. 
Oh ! is there anything that can produce greater 
happiness and pleasure than pure or holy love 
when it dwells in any heart ? which law of holy 



15 



love is the essence and law that creates the har- 
mony existing in the spiritual world of God's 
kingdom, or in its moral division the same as cer- 
tain laws create the harmony existing in the mate- 
rial or natural world of His kingdom ; but the 
laws that create the harmony in the material or 
natural world are createable, and the law of holy 
love is not createable. We have the law of pure 
and holy love implanted and developed in our 
heart and nature through faith in God, which 
causes us to yield in our will. As our faith 
increases our love increases, and banishes evil and 
confusion from the heart, and creates harmony 
therein, which makes it truth. So faith and holy 
love produces righteousness. Faith and holy love, 
are the two spiritual elements that passes us into 
Heaven, and will be the cause of our life, existence 
and being there; which two elements, if we do not 
possess we will have no portion with the King- 
dom of Heaven, because we will be, by and through 
nature, cut off. Our want of faith prevented our 
nature from being changed so as to coincide with 
the nature a being must possess in Heaven. 



16 



Abraham's faith was also imputed to him for 
righteousness. • 

Oh, man ! you may all say I believe in God, but 
how far may it be from the true saving faith, such 
as is required to procure for you a home in Heaven? 
When a man possesses the true faith he will fulfill 
the commandments of God with an overflowing 
heart of pure and holy love; the pure incense of 
holy love will manifest itself to him within his 
heart, he feeling the effects of the Holy Ghost; 
and, as I said before, which holy love cleanses the 
heart and nature of all its impurities, arrd makes 
it holy. 

What constitutes true faith ? Why, supposing 
a father promised something to his son which he 
very much desired to have, and which he could 
possess by fulfilling certain requirements — which 
requirements being possible for him to fulfill and 
they not being as dear to him as the reward 
promised — he will then employ his whole mind, 
heart and body in fulfilling the requirements, 
through -faith, that he will receive the reward 
promised. We all desire eternal life in Heaven, but 
some lack the faith to receive it. We must fulfill 



17 



the requirements of our Heavenly Father, which 

are written in the Holy Word, with a similar faith 

as that son fulfills the requirements of his father 

to receive his earthly desire, or we will never 
receive a home in Heaven. Some might say they 

would like to believe with the true faith, but they 
cannot, so it must not be a fault of theirs, but a 
fault of nature. They would be justified in mak- 
ing that assertion if there had not been any one 
redeemed to righteousness through the method 
pointed out to us in the Holy Scriptures, but as 
there are thousands of souls redeemed and saved — 
all testifying to the same effect of the spiritual 
light they received by following the material or 
natural light as it is pointed out to us in the Holy 
Scriptures, so, then, those redeemed souls are all wit- 
nesses against them in this life and the life to come. 
So it is not a fault of nature that they cannot 
believe, but a fault of their own, by not endeavor- 
ing to search out the truth, by disregarding the 
material or natural light that is given to us all in 
the Holy Scriptures, and the instruments that are 
employed by God to lead man into the way of 
truth. 



18 



CHAPTER V. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Consider over the harmony existing in the move- 
ments of the planets or celestial bodies, and in the 
whole material or natural world of Gocl's King- 
dom, which harmony must also exist in the moral 
division of his spiritual kingdom ; so when death 
comes knocking at the door, calling us, we step out 
of this world of confusion, either into God's spirit- 
ual kingdom of harmony, unity and truth, or into 
Satan's kingdom of confusion and untruth, just as 
our nature is fitted for either ; when we are in a 
fit condition to enter into Heaven, or when we are 
by nature in a fit condition to enter therein, if we 
then compare our nature with the word of God, 
we will find our nature to agree or coincide with 
the word. So, then, in that condition, if we did 



19 



not have the word as a guide or light, we would 
also fulfill the word, because our nature would 
dictate or lead us to do it ; but before man received 
the word he dwelt in darkness, was blind, could 
not see, because he had no light ; so, then, in that 
condition his nature was in an evil and confused 
condition, unfit to be placed into God's spiritual 
kingdom of harmony, unity and truth. So, 
then, man received the word as a light and 
standard for to work up to, and as soon as he has, 
by the grace of God, worked up to that light and 
standard, the word ; if he will then compare his 
nature with the word he will find it to agree or 
harmonize with it. Nature being truth, and the 
word agreeing or harmonizing with nature, or with 
the nature existing in all regenerated and redeemed, 
it must then be truth, and also have its origin from 
God, as nature. So, then, as soon as our nature 
agrees or harmonizes with the word we have then 
already, through nature, formed a connection with 
God's spiritual kingdom of harmony, unity and 
truth, and the reason we are not enjoying its full 
glory is because we have not yet stepped into it 
across the threshold of death in the flesh. We 



20 



can also weigh ourselves in the balance by placing 
ourselves or nature on one side of the scales and 
the word of God on the other side, and as soon as 
that scale balances we are by nature in a fit condi- 
tion to become a member of God's spiritual king- 
dom; and the reason we are not a member is 
because we have not yet entered into it through 
death in the flesh, as God's law prescribes ; so it 
is not strange that the righteous will scarcely enter 
into the Kingdom of Heaven when they must pass 
through such a test. 

In this particular I refer to the word # as received 
through Moses, the Prophets, and as it existed in 
Christ Jesus, as spokfen b) Him : "Thou shalt love 
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all 
thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first 
and great commandment. And the second is like 
unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 
On these two commandments hang all the law 
and the prophets. When I refer to man in 
his depraved condition, I refer to the word as 
received through Moses, the Prophets, and as it 
existed in Christ Jesus; and when I refer to man 
in his justified state I refer to the word only as it 



21 



existed in Christ Jesus, as He spoke in those two 
commandments. Man, having a light given to him 
from God, in the word, if he heeds it not, closing 
his eyes against it, he then dwells, at this present 
day, in as much spiritual darkness as did all man- 
kind before they received the word, or ligli't ; and 
as long as he remains in that condition, just so 
long is he spiritually dead to God, and in spite of 
himself, by and through nature cut off from the 
Kingdom of Heaven, and if he steps out of this 
life into the future in that condition, he will be 
for ever and ever, by and through nature, cut off 
from the Kingdom of Heaven. Oh ! will that not 
be a great gulf existing between him and Heaven ? 
When man is brought before the judgment bar of 
this world the arguments for and against him are 
delivered in words, and by that method justice is 
often abused. When man is brought before the 
judgment bar of God the arguments for and 
against him is the nature existing within him, 
which is impossible to err in condemning or justi- 
fying. 



22 



CHAPTER VI. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Before the gospel was revealed through our 
Lord and Saviour, the world had the law only 
represented in word, which man received from 
God through Moses, but the coming of* our Lord 
and Saviour into the world gave us the law repre- 
sented in nature and flesh by our Lord and Saviour, 
being the bearing messenger within himself of that 
law, by having it written within his nature, heart 
or soul, within his flesh, and Satan causing the 
destruction of that temple, causes that law to 
shine brighter and brighter as time passes on. So, 
then, the word or law was made flesh in our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ. Look at the harmony 
and truth existing in the word, will or law of God, 
in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the 
nature existing in all regenerated or justified. Oh, 



23 



why should we not all take God at His word, that 
if we obey His law or commandments in spirit and 
in truth, that we will receive thereby eternal life in 
Heaven ; if we comply with those requirements we 
cannot receive anything else, because His laws of 
nature so decree it, the same as they decree death 
in the flesh as the wages of sin. 

Oh, man ! I pray consider that you are created 
in the image of God in point of mind and intel- 
lect, and in having your will left as free to act as 
the will of God. Look at yourself; your import- 
ance, when you are transferred out of your rebel- 
lious state against God into harmony and peace 
with God, by being washed with the blood of 
righteousness which flowed from the veins of the 
lamb on the cross, and look at your insignificance 
if you are cast out into confusion — into everlast- 
ing darkness and ruin. Oh, man ! it is not a ques- 
tion of a life time, but a question of eternity. 
Hence the great importance existing in it. 



24 



CHAPTER VII. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Here in this material or natural world we are 
governed by laws framed in words, which admit ■ 
of being altered or changed without creating confu- 
sion. Not so in the spiritual world of Heaven ; 
there we are governed by laws framed in nature, 
which laws cannot be changed to suit the various 
conditions of the beings ushered out of this life 
because that would create confusion in God's 
spiritual kingdom. So, then, our nature must be 
brought into the nature of the fixed spiritual law 
of nature existing and controlling in Heaven, 
which all beings live and exist in that are in 
Heaven, by passing under the cross of Jesus. All 
roads leading around or outside of that cross of 
righteousness, truth and holiness, leads to Hell, 
which place receives all confusion, because the 
nature of the place is confusion. 



25 



CHAPTER VIII. 



\ 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZIOK. 

There are two laws and a principle in exist- 
ence showing the relation existing between God 
and all created beings that are endowed with the 
law of reason ; one of those laws is the law of free 
agency or free will, which law must exist in every 

being that is endowed with the law of reason ; 

■ 

which law of free agency or free will is controlled by 

the power of the law of pure and holy love ; which 

law of free agency or free will does admit itself to 

be controlled harmoniously or voluntarily by the 

law of pure and holy love ; or which law, when it 

exists in any being will control the will of that 

being with as much certainty or reliance as does 

the laws that control in the material or natural 

world — cleansing the heart and nature of all its 

impurities, and making it holy. But by what 



26 



power was that law and principle of free agency 
or free will existing in man, controlled before 
the fall of man? Why by the principle or the 
commandment of God for man not to eat of the for- 
bidden fruit, which left his will free to act — to obey 
or not to obey. As long as Adam, or man, obeyed 
that command, there existed harmony and happi- 
ness, because he only indulged in good ; so, then, 
there existed no evil to come into collision with 
good ; but as soon as Adam or man disobeyed that 
command he threw himself out of that controlling 
power into confusion, wherein man exists at this 
present day. But that holy, all- wise and just God 
has devised for that law and principle of free 
agency or free will existing in man, another con- 
trolling power, an everlasting power; which con- 
trolling power, if we are once placed therein, we 
will never be ejected therefrom and thrown into 
confusion. And what does this new controlling 
power consist of? It consists of the law of pure 
and holy love. So the methods adopted by our 
Heavenly Father through His holy word and our 
Saviour, Jesus Christ, is for the purpose of placing 
man back again into that new controlling power 



27 



just as he left his former one, by continually 
retaining his law and principle of free agency or 
free will intact, remaining a free will, rational 
being, as he was created ; so every soul that is 
redeemed causes that soul to be again placed back 
into that new controlling power, never again to be 
thrown out into confusion. And in possession of 
a holy nature, as is the nature of God, and the 
being that is not placed into this new controlling 
power or law, is a soul out of the law in confusion 
in this life and the life to come, and for ever and 
ever ; because it can no more return to this earth 
in the nature it at present exists in ; in which 
nature it must be placed within that law, or con- 
trolling power 

God's laws, which are nature, have the penalty 
existing within themselves for their violation, and 
as sure as they are violated, so sure is the penalty 
to follow — cannot be withdrawn — because there 
would be no protection to good. Hence, the great 
delicacy existing in our redemption. Oh, we 
should all humble ourselves to God, and be will- 
ing to be taught by Him, like little children ; 
because He created us ; He knows us thoroughly, 



28 



and knows exactly what we require to make us 
forever happy, and what is required for the protec- 
tion of His spiritual kingdom, to prevent unclean- 
ness and untruth, to enter therein, not for His 
sake alone, but for the sake of the souls under 
His protection. 

We might ask the reason why that law and 
principle of free-agency, or free-will, -existing in 
man must have a controlling power or law, because 
it makes him a free-will being and a being within 
himself, the same as God is a free-will being and a 
being within Himself, only we are dependant be- 
ings and God is not a dependant being ; and we, 
depending on God, a higher power, for our life, 
existence and being, we must also be controlled 
and governed by that power and that power 
must have a law within our nature, to control 
us by, and that controlling power or law must be 
established on principles to leave our will free to 

act; so that we can remain free-will beings and 

i 
beings within ourselves, as God wants us to, as He 

created man, so that we will be able to, or can enjoy, 
the great glory and happiness God can bestow up- 
on us, which controlling law is the law of love only 
known to those who have their life hid in Christ. 



29 



We being free-will beings and beings within 
ourselves, as God is a free-will being and a being 
within Himself, we being in possession of mind 
and intellect, as God possesses mind and intellect, 
makes us in the image of God, and the redeemed 
souls having a holy nature developed within them 
through redemption and life, within themselves, 
given to them, they can then rightly, justly, by 
nature and in truth, be called sons of God, and will 
always remain sons, because they are dependant. 



CHAPTEE IX. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Man devises, enacts and enforces laws for the 
control and government of man during his exist- 
ence here on earth, for the purpose of protecting 
right against wrong, truth against untruth, as a 
security to society, but the enacted law and power 



30 



of man can only reach and control the effects, and 
not the cause, which, if they could, there would be 
no effects, hence no punishment required, no ill 
feelings engendered ; but as the enacted law and 
power of man can only reach and control the effects, 
so their law and power is limited, and where man's 
power and enacted law ceases, Divine power and 
law begins. God has devised a law that will con- 
trol the cause, so then there will be no effects, 
which is the law of pure and holy love. And 
how is this law implanted and developed within 
us ? By faith in God, in our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ ; whereas, if you have the true faith 
in Him your heart will show as much love for 
what He represents as He showed for you, me, and 
all humanity, when He gave His life as a ran- 
som on the cross, which will cleanse the most 
impure heart and nature of all its impurities.. 



31 



CHAPTER X, 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

When man disobeyed the command of God, the 
law could not be changed to suit the changed 
nature in man, which the fall or disobedience 
inaugurated ; but his nature had to be changed in 
a manner to satisfy and conform with the law or 
principle he was created on ; and how was this to 
be accomplished to retain us free-will beings con- 
forming with the law man was created on ? It 
would not do to interfere directly against the will of 
the being to change his nature — that would be 
impossible — because he would discontinue to be a 
free-will being, as he was created, and could not 
remain a rational being, so there had to be a medi- 
ator between the law and our will to satisfy the 
law and to satisfy our will, or to control it volun- 
tarily, and for that reason the Son of God sacrificed 



32 



himself on the cross so as to become a mediator 
between us and the law to satisfy the law and 
to satisfy our will, or to control it voluntarily, so 
as to change our nature, He becoming the founda- 
tion of our faith and church, such as Satan and all 
the wisdom of the world cannot undermine, or 
even make an impression on. Oh, what love! we 
can never repay it. 



CHAPTER XL 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

When man is born into this world, the law 
already exists here that is to control or govern him 
during his existence here on earth; or if it does 
not already exist it is brought into existence after 
his arrival. Not so in God's spiritual Kingdom 
of Heaven ; a son that is born into that kingdom 
must arive there with the law existing within him 



33 



which is forever to control him in that kingdom ; it 
must be born along with him, as being part of 
himself, or being part of his nature and being. 
'So, then, it is not words nor forms that is at 
stake, but it is nature, truth ; yes, you are warring 
against the God of nature, the God of everlasting 
truth; and you will make no headway in that 
direction. If you war against God's physical 
laws of nature the result may not be noticed for 
some time, but eventually the result will be a 
shattered constitution, a shattered specimen of 
humanity; and if you war against his spiritual 
laws of nature, the result will be the same — a shat- 
tered soul at death. 

Every being in existence, that is endowed with 
the law and principle of reason, must have exist- 
ing within them, by the will of God, the law and 
principle of free-agency or free will. Those two 
laws and principles must go together, and that 
free will principle or law dare not in our salvation 
be infringed upon ; must be kept intact in all 
cases and circumstances, so that we can all the 
while during our regeneration remain the being 
God intends us to be, as He created us, free-will 



34 



beings and beings within ourselves, so that we will 
be able to, or can enjoy the great glory and hap- 
piness that God can abundantly bestow upon us, 
so when any of those beings disobey God, they 
then voluntarily, through the exercise of their 
will, throw themselves out into confusion, thereby 
misusing that noble gift — the law and principle of 
free- agency or free-will — which the grace of God 
has given them, which action also causes them to 
be spiritually dead to God. 



CHAPTER XII- 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Spiritual matters are not forced on man, but he 
is frequently brought low in his conceit, in seeing 
the immense power and wisdom of God displayed 
before him in nature and in the Holy Scriptures, 
when he reflects and meditates over it, and by the 
warning the Holy Spirit gives him ; he then vol- 



35 



untarily invokes the assistance of God to cleanse 
his heart of the impurities and falsities existing 
there, so that he can be transferred out of his 
rebellious state against God, into harmony and 
peace with God ; which assistance is kindly ren- 
dered if only asked for in the proper spirit. That 
kindness and mercy has no regular hours, but is 
continually watching and waiting for you, with 
extended arms, saying: come, dear children. Oh, 
do come and drink of that fountain of living water, 
and eat of the bread of life, which will produce 
for you eternal life in glory. Oh, if man would 
only make use of that noble gift — the law and 
principle of free-agency or free-will — in the right 
direction, which the grace of God has given him, 
by coming forward in earnest, in the proper and 
true spirit, saying, Oh, Heavenly Father, give us 
to eat of that bread and drink from that fountain, 
which if he did he would then have done his duty 
as a free-will being; the Holy Spirit could then 
commence its work of renovation within his heart 
and nature, without infringing upon his law and 
principle of free-agency or free-will ; he has then 
knocked, he has then asked ; God will do the rest 



36 



for him. God only requires of us to do a little 
portion towards this conquering of the evil spirit 
within us, just sufficient to keep our law and prin- 
ciple of free-agency intact; all that we are re- 
quested to do is to bend our will to God and He 
will attend to the conquering of the evil spirit 
within us. Yes, God only requires us to do a 
little towards this conquering of sin and Satan, so 
that we can also rejoice in having assisted in the 
conquest. When the Israelites under the com- 
mand of Gideon, conquered the Midianites, all 
they did was moving on the enemy, and God did 
the conquering for them ; but had they not moved 
on the enemy, through lack of faith, they would 
not have gained the victory. God wants us to 
move on Satan, the enemy, and he will do the 
conquering for us, but if we do not move on Satan, 
the enemy, through lack of faith, he will always 
remain victorious over us, the same as the Midian- 
ites would have remained victorious over the 
Israelites if they had not went up to conquer, and 
trusted in the Lord to assist them. No, they could 
not have recorded that great victory on their ban- 
ner, nor can we record victory in our conscience, 



37 



over Satan and sin f unless we make a move on 
him and trust in the Lord for assistance. Then, at 
the end of the world, confusion will have been 
banished — harmony good will and unity restored 
between God and man — the redeemed, victorious 
souls. Oh, they can then rightly be called the 
sons of God ; admitted into His presence as free- 
will beings, never again to be thrown out of that 
elevated position into confusion through all eter- 
nity. Oh, man ! Oh, woman ! when such glory 
as that awaits you, without money or price, will 
you continue to treat it with contempt, by follow- 
ing after the dictates of the flesh and the world, 
which all will pass away. 



38 



CHAPTER XIII 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

God works from a point of perfection, and we, 
by the assistance of God, are working towards a 
point of perfection, and all the imperfection we 
find existing within us is not because man was not 
created perfect, but because our will is running 
counter to the will of God ; so it is ourselves that 
is creating the imperfection within us. The reason 
there exists so much harmony and perfection in the 
material or natural world, is because there exists 
no will therein to consult ; then God only requires 
to consult His own will, hence the great perfection 
and harmony existing in the material or natural 
world. God is individually responsible for the 
harmony existing in the material or natural world, 
but He is not individually responsible for harmony 
in the spiritual world of our moral character, 



39 



because he has placed part of that responsibility on 
us in creating us a free-will, rational, intelligent 
being, a responsible moral agent, so that it is pos- 
sible for us, now and when redeemed, to eternally 
enjoy His glory. 

Oh, on what a solid foundation of everlasting 
truth God's throne is established ! Oh, how we 
should reverence that holy, all-wise and just God ! 
Oh, on what essence of perfection are his laws 
based ! They are established on principles of 
everlasting security and truth ; and when they 
are violated by any beings they will not be 
changed to suit the changed nature of the violators 
which the viclation produced within them, because 
the law is perfect, and by the violator violating it 
he becomes imperfect and transfers himself into a 
state that God did not create or transfer him into; 
so, then, his nature must be changed to perfection in 
that state, by conforming with the law he was created 
on ; but if that being, as a free-will being, will not 
admit his nature to be changed, he can never be 
ruled or governed by that law of perfection which 
emanates from God. Why, man to become a son of 
God is a matter of a quickening creation, as much 



40 



so as it was a matter of a natural creation to first 
bring man into existence. In the. natural creation 
lie had no part to perform ; in the quickening or 
transformation, you have a part to perform ; so, 
then, if any one has neglected to do his duty 
towards placing his nature into that law of per- 
fection, and remains so until death, he will then 
be, by and through nature, forever and ever de- 
prived from being controlled and governed by that 
law, and therefore forever and ever have the gates 
of Heaven closed upon him, which law is the seal 
of security to Heaven and the Throne of God, 
preventing uncleanness and untruth to enter 
therein. Oh, is that not a secure seal to Heaven 
and the Throne of God ? 

When a criminal is inclosed by the wall of a 
prison he is prevented from doing harm, or com- 
mitting depradations on society, or infringing on 
the rights of the people, or misusing their confi- 
dence ; but is it beyond a possibility for that crim- 
inal to again resume his depradations ? No, it is 
not ; the law of man may pardon him — removing 
the penalty but not the guilt, nor the cause that 
produced the effect which made the penalty neces- 



41 



sary — or the wall of the prison may give way by 
the criminal breaking through, so in either case he 
is at liberty to resume his depradations on society, 
rights and confidence. It is not so with the law 
and wall protecting Heaven, which are composed 
of the elements and material of nature, and not of 
words and rocks, which makes it impossible for 
that law and wall to yield to uncleanness and un- 
truth — the great enemy to God and Heaven — 
which law and wall forever and ever protects the 
children of God and His throne from being in- 
truded upon by that great enemy to truth, which 
forever and ever prevents confusion to be inaugu- 
rated therein, as it exists here; and whenever that 
law and wall yields to any being, admitting him, 
it is a sure guarantee that there exists no unclean- 
ness or untruth within him because that law can- 
not be infringed upon, and that wall cannot be re- 
moved by force, but must be removed by comply- 
ing to the law, and as soon as our nature complies, 
we are placed within the law, which is the wall 
and law protecting Heaven in its moral division. 



42 



CHAPTER XrV« 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

God works, as I said before, from a settled and 
fixed point, having His laws based on perfec- 
tion, never changing or deviating beyond improve- 
ment; so, then, every being in this whole universe 
must bend to His will and laws, or be destroyed. 
In the affairs of man it is not so; instead of them 
working from a settled, fixed point of perfection, 
they are by the assistance of God working from an 
unsettled point of imperfection to a point of per- 
fection ; they are continually changing the princi- 
ples and laws that they use for their guidance and 
government. Just as they advance towards per- 
fection, that displays fully their imperfection, being 
continually under the necessity of changing old 
things for new things. Who is responsible for this 



43 



imperfection existing in man ? Why, man himself. 
As I said before, God did not create man into his 
present state of imperfection, but he created him 
in a state of perfection after his kind ; after the 
law and principle he was created on, but his fall, 
caused by his disobedience to God, placed man 
into a position or state which God had not placed 
or created him into. Hence our imperfection in 
this state ; and imperfection will continue as long 
as we do not obey the commandments of God in 
spirit and in truth. Hence the punishment man is 
suffering for the violation of the law of God ; and 
just as sure as our first parents, for not heeding 
God's commandments — violating His law — were 
expelled from the earthly paradise, and had to die 
in the flesh, regardless of all their supplications 
and wishes to the contrary, will man, also, if he 
does not heed God's present instructions, be pre- 
vented from entering into the Heavenly paradise, 
regardless of all his supplications and wishes to the 
contrary. The law must take its course in all 
cases of its violation, regardless of the wishes of 
the violator to the contrary. Hear what our Lord 
says : " It is easier for heaven and earth to pass 



44 



than one tittle of the law to fail." And why not, 
when the laws concerned in the spiritual world are 
of greater importance than in the material world. 



CHAPTER XV, 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Some might say, what is the reason man was not 
created in a manner so that it would have been 
impossible for him to fall from his state of purity. 
The fact of the matter of man being a rational, de- 
pending being, and in possession, by the will of God, 
of that noble gift, the law and principle of free- 
agency or free-will, left him open to temptation, 
and no matter how elevated a being is created, the 



45 



fact of the matter of him being a rational, depend- 
ing being, and in possession, by the will of God, 
of that noble gift, the law and principle of free- 
agency or free-will, leaves him open to temptation; 
so, when man fell it was not the fault of God but 
the fault of man in disobeying the commandment. 
When a parent gives a child a command not to in- 
dulge in a certain thing, it may or it may not obey; 
its rationality and dependence makes it necessary 
to give the command, and its rationality and free- 
will makes it possible for it either to obey or not to 
obey. If the parent controlled the will of the child 
it would not be necessary to give the command. 
If God controlled our will we would require no 
commandments; but how glad and thankful we 
should be to God our Heavenly Father, that He 
leaves our will free to act, thereby making it 
possible for us to be a rational being, and by being 
a rational being, able to enjoy the great happiness 
and bliss that the wisdom and love of our Hea- 
venly Father can bestow on us in our Heavenly 
home, if redeemed, which enjoyments and bliss are 
indescribable for their glory. 

The redeemed in Heaven will again receive com- 



46 



mandments from God for their guidance, but there 
will be no danger of them disobeying on account of 
the change of nature they have passed through; 
they will then be happy to know and do the will 
of God. We must always live and exist under 
commandments, because we are dependant beings, 
and God being our creator, our Heavenly Father, 
does He not know better than we what is required 
to give us everlasting happiness? Does not a 
father know what will contribute to the good of 
the child, and does he not give it commands 
accordingly? And our Heavenly Father, being 
pure and perfect, can we not then expect great 
happiness by complying with His commandments ? 
When man disobeyed the commandment of God 
there was no other alternative for him but to die 
in the flesh, because he would indulge in things 
that was injurious to the flesh, or had a killing 
tendency to the flesh, so his flesh could not be 
immortal. 



47 



CHAPTER XYL 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Man was not created for the purpose to fall in 
temptation so that he could become a more elevated 
being, but he was created good and perfect in his 
first state or nature of existence, the same as any 
thing else is perfect in its nature or order of exist- 
ence ; so man was good in his first state, if he re- 
mained in it, and was also created with possible 
principles existing within him to escape from that 
everlasting darkness and ruin which the fall has 
produced, and become a more elevated being than 
he was created in the beginning, if he will only do 
his part to bring those possible principles and pos- 
sibilities into development; or if he will, as a free- 
will being, make use of or take advantage of them. 
If a person sheds natural tears, he must weep, and 
there must be something to make him weep, or 



48 



there must be a cause to produce the effect of tears; 
so, then, if a person is not shedding tears, neverthe- 
less the law or principle exists within him to shed 
or cause tears; and the possible principles that will 
give us eternal life in glory, and prevent us from 
going down to everlasting darkness and ruin, have 
their possibilities within us if we will only bring 
them into play and development through repent- 
ance, and be kept in development through contin- 
ual faith until death, we will then receive the 
effects which those principles can develop for us ; 
and if we do not bring those principles into play 
and development through repentance and continual 
faith, the law and the effect which it could and 
would produce, will die with the person when they 
die in the flesh. So God, in this instance, as in 
all other instances, is supreme, all-wise and omnip- 
otent, having created man good and perfect in 
his first order or nature of existence ; according 
to that nature, by a rebelious act of man against 
God, he became inferior to his first creation, but 
man, by becoming an inferior through an action of 
his own, he also becomes, out of that inferior, 
through the power of God, a superior to his first 



49 



creation ; if we lift our hand to Heaven and 
repent of our ways, all our spiritual wants will be 
satisfied — we are then filled with joy. If we could 
not receive those wants there would be no spiritual 
harmony and happiness, after so much harmony 
existing in the material or natural world. Oh, 
how thankful we should be that we have a God — 
a Father in Heaven — who can and does administer 
to our spiritual wants, creating happiness and 
spiritual harmony. God can give, preserve and 
destroy what is beyond the comprehension of man, 
concerning this salvation. He should receive in 
faith. It is impossible for man, in his natural, 
fallen condition, to comprehend much of the truth 
concerning this salvation ; and there is where faith 
comes in and has its part to perform. Then there 
are things for God to know only, and for God to 
reveal when He sees proper. 

The same God that furnished a ram to Abraham 
for an offering when he was about to sacrifice his 
son ; and parted the waters of the sea as a wall for 
the Isrelites to pass over when they were pursued 
by the Egyptians, can also provide for all contin- 
gencies that are incomprehensible to us. Want of 



50 



faith caused the Israelites to wander forty years in 
the wilderness, until all those who had offended 
God, through lack of faith, departed this life — 
being prevented from entering into the land of 
Canaan. Caleb and Joshua survived the forty 
years, and were permitted to enter into the land of 
Canaan, because they never doubted, but remained 
firm in their faith. 

When the prophecies were foretold, many had to 
die without seeing them fulfilled ; nevertheless, they 
were fulfilled. When it was prophesied concern- 
ing the appearance of our Lord and Saviour on the 
earth, the details concerning Him at that time were 
incomprehensible, and many had also to die with- 
out seeing this prophesy fulfilled. Nevertheless, 
our Lord and Saviour appeared, not out from the 
Jewish Church, the husbanders of the prophecies, 
but from God ; so, then, they became forever a 
standing witness of that truth and light; so, then, 
what is incomprehensible to us concerning this sal- 
vation, behooves us to receive in faith, by the 
many evidences we have before us of the value of 
faith, or of the rewards received through faith. 



51 



CHAPTER XVII 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Everything in the hands of man has its opposite 
evil to its good. Mind and intellect, in the hands 
of man, has its opposite evil to its good, in them 
exercising and using it in denying the God whose 
grace bestowed it on them. Government, in the 
hands of man, has its opposite evil to its good, by 
the corrupt influences that find their way into it. 
Much liberty, in the hands of man, has its oppo- 
site evil to its good in their misusing it. Law and 
justice, in the hands of man, has its opposite evil 
to its good in their abusing it; and this is all 
traceable -to one cause, — disobedience to the com- 
mandments and law of God. And where will we 
look to see the law of God, — to understand it in 
the plainest manner? Why, if we look upon our 



M 



Lord and Saviour, we look upon the law in the 
flesh. In Him the word and law was made flesh, 
so we cannot mistake it ; and if we carry His 
spiritual cross, as He carried the material cross for 
us, we are living, or existing, within the law, and 
it will not have a tendency to bear us down as did 
that cross bear Him down when He was carrying 
it for us, on His way to Mount Calvary ; but it 
will have a tendency to bear us up. We would 
then reap all the good, without having to partake 
of the evil, and after done with this life, worthy of 
eternal life, in Heaven, where nothing but truth 
dwelleth. 



53 



CHAPTER XVIII- 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Man is composed of many elements, but prop- 
erly, only of two substances ; one is the flesh, the 
natural man, which dieth and decayeth ; the other 
is the soul, which has within it immortality. 
"What will you do as a free-will being? — follow 
after the dictates of the flesh, or natural man, 
which dieth and decayeth, and drags this im- 
mortal soul down to everlasting darkness and ruin, 
or will you follow after the commandments and law 
of God in spirit and in truth ; so when this body 
of flesh dieth, the soul will inherit eternal life in 
Heaven — where such glory exists as eyes haye not 
seen or ever entered the heart of man. 

If you have lived after the dictates of the flesh, 
the natural man, and are then brought before the 
holy tribunal of God to be tested and weighed in 



54 



the balance, you will be found wanting in spiritual 
purity, and be cast out into confusion, into ever- 
lasting darkness and ruin, the receptacle of all con- 
fusion. Who can you then blame for it ? Why, 
no one but yourself, you will be a witness against 
yourself — which is your conscience. 

Have you not had the testimony, in the Holy 
Scriptures, of the many miracles performed during 
the departure of the Israelites out of the land of 
Egypt, and on their journey — the miraculous con- 
quering of their enemies ; and after their arrival 
in their destined country, of their elevations, down- 
fall, captivities, and miraculous releases ? And 
have you not the testimony, from the same source* 
of the many prophesies and their fulfillment ; and 
the example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ — 
His exemplary life, His teachings, the miracles He 
performed ; His suffering, crucifixion, death, resur- 
rection and ascension ; His apostles bearing witness 
to it, in their very actions. And have you not 
had the testimony, from the same source, of the 
Apostle Paul, and all the apostles, of their hard- 
ships, persecutions and sufferings, which they en- 
dured without yielding, and all the testimony 



55 



existing in the Holy Scriptures, of their Divine 
origin, not only in the miracles performed, but in 
the nature of the writings ; and in the very action 
of the apostles, being outside of known nature, and 
salvation is preached through the church from 
week to week ; but the evil spirit is continually 
busy with the worldly temptations which the 
flesh so eagerly lusteth after. Here is where 
a great part of the trouble exists; the world is 
too apt to shove the Holy Word of God to one 
side, as being too dry to read, contemplate and 
meditate over ; it does not stop to consider ; it does 
not give it an honest hearing. So, then, when it 
is judged, it will be shoved to one side, as being 
too dry in spiritual matters ; and the world is also 
too liable to treat the works of Christian authors 
and philosophers in the same manner, and choose 
matters of a worldy or carnal nature for con- 
templation and meditation, because it suits the 
appetite of the flesh; and some of those pas- 
' times and indulgencies are of a very empty 
nature. Should man not be more anxious to search 
out the spiritual truths concerning the salvation of 
his immortal soul, which the Holy Scriptures 



56 



abundantly contain, and which we should search for 
as we would for silver and gold ; which the Holy- 
Spirit will willingly teach us, and which we can 
plainly see when this carnal vail is lifted from our 
eyes? And of what material is this carnal vail 
composed ? Why, of self-love, self-reliance, vain- 
glory, pride, worldly cares and affairs, and sup- 
posed worldly pleasures. And what is the required 
and only remedy that will remove that carnal vail ? 
Why, for you to confess in an humble manner your 
sins to God, repent of them, ask pardon, and 
acknowledge that ycu cannot, in your own strength, 
permanently better your condition, so as to bring 
your nature into a sufficient state of purity, or into 
the nature which all redeemed possess in Heaven ; 
then that Holy Spirit can commence lifting that 
carnal vail without infringing on your free-will 
principle. As I said before, by the assistance of 
God we are to be brought out of a state of imper- 
fection into a state of perfection ; not out of a state 
we were created into, but out of a state that man 
and the evil spirit placed us into, so as to know how 
to reject evil by the change of nature we have passed 
through, we will shrink from it as from a mighty 



57 



precipice; hence the complete discomfiture of 
Satan- 

I have seen the time when I thought the Holy- 
Scriptures were too dry to contemplate and meditate 
over ; but I then lacked the proper spirit to spur 
me on to do that duty, and the way that I came 
into possession of the proper spirit to do that duty 
was in this wise : I thought we should at least 
give them an honest hearing, and under that spirit 
I commenced to search them, and I saw my lost 
condition. I believed, repented, and by the assist- 
ance of God, cast to one side this rubbish of self- 
love, self-reliance, and supposed worldly pleasures, 
which caused me to meditate more and more over 
God's word, continually becoming more and more 
perfect in Christ Jesus, I did not contemplate 
and meditate over the Holy Scriptures with the 
intention or purpose of denying them, but for the 
purpose of being convinced of their truth, if it was 
truth. As our Lord and Saviour says : " Seek 
< and ye shall find." When I cg,me across a pass- 
age that was incomprehensible to me, at the time* 
which some would then style unreasonable, I ac- 
cepted it in faith, and proceeded further; and 



58 



after proceeding further my nature became more 
and more in harmony with the nature of holiness 
existing in the Scriptures. I could then go back 
and comprehend the passage I was before com- 
pelled to receive in faith; but if I had stopped 
at that passage and commenced using it as a 
foundation to deny the Scriptures, 1 would have 
been continually traveling in an opposite direction 
from the true light — receding further and further 
into darkness; but by my traveling towards the 
light, receiving in faith what was incomprehensible 
to me, at the time, brought me out of darkness 
into light ; by coming nearer to the light, I could 
plainly understand the passage I was before com- 
pelled to receive in faith. 

The history contained in the Holy Scriptures, or 
its compilation, is a light given by God through 
the instrumentality of man, to man ; therefore we 
must use them in the nature of a light ; man must 
not use himself as a light against that light which, 
if he does, he will, vail himself deeper and deeper 
in darkness, and that light will still remain as a 
light to man, and shine as bright as ever. In the 
material or natural world man can destroy or 



59 



change the nature of a substance, but he cannot 
annihilate it because it is a work of God founded 
on material nature. Man can, also, by, miscon- 
structing, destroy the nature of the Scriptures, but 
he cannot' annihilate its truth, because it is a 
.work of^God, founded on spiritual nature. As 
man's power of destruction is limited in the mate- 
rial or natural world, is it also in the spiritual 
world. As man has power to change and destroy 
nature in the material or natural world, has he, 
also, power to change and destroy his nature ; but 
he has not got the disposal of himself. As man 
has by his disobedience destroyed a certain nature 
within him, by placing himself into a nature he 
was not created into, coming thereby in possession 
of an evil nature, and suffering thereby the pen- 
alty of death ; so, then, he cannot create a certain 
other nature within him, which he must possess to 
become victorious over death and the grave, and 
inherit eternal life in Heaven ; therefore, he must 
entirely surrender. himself into the hands of God, 
and pursue his instructions. Man has his mind and 
intellect to devise, and his will to execute, and is, 
therefore, in the image of God, because he is a 



60 



likeness to God in his rationality and in having 
his mind and will left as free to act during the 
time he is passing through this life of regeneration, 
as the mind and will of God. 

If God was dealing with material nature, all 
defects could be instantly removed or plucked out ; 
but when He is dealing with man He is dealing 
with a free-will being, as He is Himself; therefore, 
it is necessary for man to be willing or consent 
to have the defect and the evil removed, or else 
he would no more control his will, and, therefore, 
have destroyed his image to God. Man, through 
the exercise of his will, changed and destroyed his 
former nature, and, therefore, lost God, through 
nature; and through nature he must again find 
God. The will yielded to the nature of the evil 
spirit when man lost God ; it must again yield to 
the nature of the good spirit to find God. The 
nature of the Scriptures is holy ; the nature of a 
worldly man is carnal; so there is a great gulf 
existing between the two natures ; one is spiritual 
harmony, the other is spiritual confusion. Just as 
fast as the nature of man harmonizes with the 
"Word of God, so fast are the incomprehensibilities 



61 



to a carnal nature unraveled to him. Then some 
might say, why are the Scriptures not plainer, so 
that we could instantly understand all about them; 
they are as plain to man as his nature will admit 
them to be. When a child's education commences 
it does not commence on the higher branches and 
descend, but it begins with the alphabet and passes 
from the lower to the higher branches. Men are 
all by nature children in this spiritual regeneration 
but all understand the commandments as they ap- 
pear to them on the surface ; they are man's spir- 
itual or divine alphabet, and he must accept them 
as such, and he must obey them in the same nature 
as the child obeys in learning the letters; as the 
letters are the foundation to the child's education, 
so are the commandments, if man obeys them in 
spirit and in truth, the foundation, through nature, 
to his spiritual knowledge and understanding ; and 
as the child gains knowledge from day to day in 
education, so will also man gain spiritual knowl- 
edge and understanding from God, through the in- 
fluence of the Holy Spirit, unto eternal life. 

Our Lord and Saviour says, " Seek and ye shall 
find." Every one will have administered unto them 



62 



according to their needs. Now, if man will not 
receive the true spiritual knowledge without seek- 
ing, how can he expect to receive it if he closes his 
eyes against it. If man seeks for spiritual truth, 
he will have administered to him according to his 
needs, the Spirit of God working within him, 
bringing him out of this carnal prison-house into 
the nature of holiness, and every one will have 
administered to him by the Holy Spirit modes of 
conviction. What would convince you might not 
convince another, and so on, because all our natures 
vary in this world or state of confusion, therefore 
we will receive according to the necessities of our 
nature, which the Holy Spirit can only perform ; 
but as soon as we are brought out of this nature of 
confusion, away from the world, and justified — 
which means that we could die any moment with- 
out fearing to meet our God, and cast ourselves 
with confidence and a loving heart into the arms 
of Jesus. Our spiritual nourishment is then all of 
the same nature because our natures harmonize, and 
one kind of spiritual nourishment will do for all* 
And when I contemplated and meditated over the 
Holy word of God, as herein said, I began to see 



63 



that there existed a mighty truth therein, a jewel 
more precious than if it were a diamond sufficiently 
large to contain the whole wealth of the world ; 
and there did a spirit come over me which urged 
me on to read, contemplate and meditate over it. 
Oh, it is the contemplation and meditation that is 
required ! I found it to be one of the most inter- 
esting books I ever meditated over ; and the spirit- 
ual truths it contains was revealed to me almost 
without limit, bringing me out of this carnal 
prison-house into a holy nature, causing my soul to 
realize within its feeling, its nature, that I have a 
God — a Father in Heaven — who cares for and 
loves my soul. The same will be done to all that 
have not passed through this life of regeneration, 
if you seek with the proper spirit, because every 
one will have administered to them according to 
their needs. Oh, how thankful we should be that 
we have a Father in Heaven that can and does 
administer to our spiritual wants and needs. 

When you take this step of repentance, and seek 
for salvation, do not give up until you are com- 
pletely changed in nature— justified in your con- 
science that you are completely regenerated by being 



64 



reborn of the spirit ; having conquered the flesh. 
Standing on that solid rock, Jesus, looking Hea- 
venward with an overflowing heart of holy love, 
you will then be possessed of a spirit never justi- 
fying yourself as being good enough, but you will 
be continually striving to become more perfect in 
Christ Jesus, God's grace being sufficient for you 
to do so — be continually doing something for the 
honor of truth, righteousness and holiness. What 
you before loved in the spiritual world you will 
hate, and what you before hated you will love. 
Old things having passed away, and new things 
taken their place, you will with a willing heart 
discontinue all indulgences that have the remotest 
tendency towards evil; and such indulgences as 
you heretofore thought were your greatest source 
of pleasure, you will cheerfully discontinue. You 
will abhor them because you see their emptiness 
by being holy minded, instead of carnally minded. 



65 



CHAPTER XIX. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Oh, man ! when you have, in an humble man- 
ner, confessed your sins to God, and repented of 
them, and acknowledged that you are not capable, 
out of your own strength, to bring you into 
that state of purity which is required of you 
to inherit, at death, eternal life in Heaven, you 
have then entered the right and only key that will 
unlock to you the door of Heaven. Then if you 
keep on obeying God's commandments, in actions, 
thoughts and deeds, God will turn that key 
for you, which you, or man, is not able to turn, 
and open the door unto you ; your disobedience or 
carnal nature closes and locks that door ; your key, 
repentance and humility, will unlock it, and your 
obedience will open it unto you. Is it not as plain 
as it can be ? Cannot that same power that created 



66 



us, that created the principles and laws we exist in, 
also make the required changes that are necessary 
to exist within us ? But the first was a natural 
creation, and this is a quickening — a transforma- 
tion. We must first repent, before anything will 
or can be done for us; we must go through 
that only one course which God intends us to, for 
to become into that state of purity which He in- 
tends that we must be in, if we are to enter His 
rest in Heaven, so that we will never again fall 
from that state of purity ; there is no middle way, 
but only one way that leads to the fountain of liv- 
ing water — eternal life in perfection — and that way 
passes under the cross of Jesus. 

The moral character or nature in man, if to be 
placed into Heaven, must be brought into such a 
state of purity and perfection so that it can be 
trusted with as much confidence as the law that 
gives us the light and warmth of the sun ; and 
that voluntary repentance is one of the chiefest 
requirements and spiritual elements to bring us 
into that required purity, and so that those 
principles can remain within us that are required 
to exist within a free-will, rational, depending, 



67 



responsible moral agent ; or so that we will remain 
as we were created — free-will, rational, depending 
and responsible moral agents, and be beings within 
ourselves by having given to us life within our- 
selves, so that we will be able to or can enjoy the 
great glory and happiness that the wisdom and 
love of our Heavenly Father can bestow on us. 
Yes, I will repeat it ; if that moral character or 
nature in man is to be placed into Heaven, it must 
be brought into such a state of purity and perfec- 
tion so that it can be trusted with as much confi- 
dence as any law that has its existence in matter, 
chemistry or natural philosophy in the natural 
world. The very foundation of Heaven, in its 
moral division, depends on the nature or purity of 
the souls that it contains. Do not think that I am 
speaking through imaginations — I am speaking of 
what I know. And when such vital and respon- 
sible principles are concerned, can we question our 
Heavenly Father for requiring us to pass through 
such stringent requirements pointed out to us in 
the Holy Scriptures? And they do not appear 
stringent to a true Christian — a regenerated per- 
son—, they only appear stringent to worldly or 



68 



carnally minded persons; and then, do we not 
thereby receive our reward — inheriting eternal 
life in Heaven, and everlasting glory, such as 
never entered into the heart of man ? And 
how must we come in possession of this truth, this 
harmonized and trusted nature ? By passing under 
the spiritual cross of Jesus ; our nature will then 
be all alike, holy, because we have all passed 
through the one process of spiritual purification ; 
our spiritual nature can then be trusted with as 
much confidence as our physical nature is trusted, 
that we will take a drink of water when we are 
thirsty so that the system will receive its sufficient 
and required supply of water. Oh, does not that 
physical nature control our will, causing us to 
drink ? And does it not give our souls pleasure 
to comply ? Just on a similar principle must our 
will be controlled spiritually when we are born 
into Christ's kingdom, giving our soul just as much 
pleasure to comply; then we are again perfect — a 
substance of truth and perfection lifted out of a 
world of confusion and untruth. Then God is 
again individually responsible for our perfection, 
because He prescribed the process we must pass 



69 



through to get there, or into that nature and order. 
After so many principles, and so much philoso- 
phy being concerned and connected with this sal- 
vation of man, the great beauty and truth existing 
in it, is that it is available to all persons, classes, 
or conditions ; and why ? Because the way to sal- 
vation is through repentance and faith, which 
worketh with the spirit of God, pure and holy 
love into the heart, cleanses it of all profanity, and 
satisfies all principles and philosophy concerned, 
and if you examine the Scriptures you will see 
that the principal and most earnestly urged point 
therein is faith \ and how some of its adherents 
have been rewarded when it was almost hope 
against hope ; even at the point of despair, on the 
last moment came relief from God, in a manner 
incomprehensible at the time. Look at the exam- 
ple of Abraham and the parting of the waters of 
the sea, to cause the Israelites to escape from their 
enemies, the Egyptians. When a man has a case 
to be tried before the law, no matter how learned 
he is in other branches or professions, he will, with 
full confidence, trust and faith, submit his case 
into the hands of a lawyer, obey and pursue his 



70 



instructions, and why ? Because he is supposed to 
be fully acquainted with the law. God being fully 
acquainted with the law and principles man was 
created on and exist in, or was placed into 
through man's disobedience, should not man, then, 
with more confidence and faith, trust his case 
concerned in certain laws of nature, into the hands 
of God, fully obey and pursue His instructions ? 
He is not liable to err, as man is. 

If man had been told a hundred years ago that 
man would bring all those inventions into exist- 
ence, and to their use, which man possesses to-day, 
they would have laughed at the person. If man 
is so much deceived in the power, wisdom and 
capabilities of man, how much less should we 
doubt the power and wisdom of God, which is 
naturally unfathomable to man, he being the crea- 
ture and not the creator. God being the creator of 
man, along with all his inventions, let man no 
more question and doubt the power, wisdom and 
justice of God, but let him much rather say : 
" Oh, Lord ! Thy ways are many and past find- 
ing out/' 



71 



CHAPTER XX, 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION, 

When I repented and sought for salvation, I 
was not what the world would style a wicked man, 
but I was not too good to be regenerated, and those 
that think they are too good to be regenerated, let 
them ask themselves a few questions : whether 
they possess the love of Jesus, for God judgeth 
not as man does, but He weigheth the spirit. 
Let them ask themselves, if necessary, if they 
could, with a willing and loving heart, die for the 
sake of what the Lord and Saviour represents. 
Let them ask themselves, if death called on them 
the next moment, if they could, with full confi- 
dence and trust, and a loving heart, cast them- 
selves into the arms of Jesus. If they can com- 
ply to all these requirements, then it is not neces- 
sary for them to be regenerated ; but if they 



72 



cannot comply to all these requirements, then 
they are not sufficiently pure to be trusted 
in Heaven as a guard to keep out Satan, and 
when any can comply to all those requirements 
they are then anchored on that solid rock, where 
all the elements of Satan and the gates of hell 
cannot prevail against them. They are then where 
no one can pluck them out of His hands. They 
will then be possessed of a spirit never justifying 
themselves as being good enough. When I say 
justifying in this case, I mean justification of their 
own, not justification by the law ; when the law 
justifies you, you are justified by the law, and not 
by yourself. 



\ 



73 



CHAPTER XXI, 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

I have seen parents endeavoring to learn their 
child to walk, by separating on the floor, and hav- 
ing the child between them, walking from one to 
the other ; but the moment the tender limbs of the 
child would yield, the parent would seize it up to 
prevent it from falling. Something similar, spirit- 
ually, is done to us by our Heavenly Father, 
when we are passing through this life of regenera- 
tion. We are left to walk alone, as a free agent ; 
then if we continue to invoke God's assistance, ear- 
nestly, in spirit and in truth, He will never let us 
yield — His grace being sufficient, if only merited 
at the moment ; He not allowing you to be tempted 
above what you can bear. There is true mercy ; 
and as that child gains strength, from day to day, 
to eventually enable it to walk alone, so will we 



74 



gain strength in faith, love for God, for our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ, or what he represents: — 
righteousness and holiness, to eventually enable us 
to walk alone in His kingdom. We are led on, 
from step to step, and degree to degree, until we 
are sufficiently pure to enter into His eternal rest. 



CHAPTEE XXII. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Our Lord and Saviour says u Except a man be 
born again he cannot see the kingdom of God ; '* 
and again He says " Except ye be converted, and 
become as little children, ye shall not enter into 
the kingdom of Heaven. " What do those words 
mean ? Why, that you must be completely 
changed in your nature, completely regenerated. 
It means that we must be reborn of the spirit, by 



75 



the grace and power of God, through our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ ; or be transformed through 
a quickening spirit ; so, then, if we are not reborn 
of the spirit it will not be a matter of controversy 
about admitting us into Heaven after we enter 
into the future life, but it will be a matter of im- 
possibility ; and why ? Because our nature would 
not admit it; so, then, if we have neglected to do 
our part as free-will beings to bring those laws and 
principles existing within us into the nature, to 
coincide with the spiritual nature in Heaven, or 
which a being must possess in Heaven ; laws of 
nature will then keep us out. It will then be as 
impossible for us to enter into Heaven as it would 
be for us to fly in the air ; so, then, there are laws 
existing in nature that surround and inclose the 
throne of God and Heaven, preventing unclean- 
ness and untruth from entering there; which 
laws are impassable barriers to uncleanness and 
untruth ; which establishes the throne of God on 
the foundation of everlasting security and truth ; 
which laws are our judges and account keepers, and 
never make a mistake; and those persons that 
acknowledge the laws of nature as God, and do 



76 



not acknowledge them as the laws of a Living 
God, will be condemned by such very laws of spirit- 
ual nature ; which laws will judge and sentence 
them, and never make a mistake or give a wrong 
sentence. God does not require a register to regis- 
ter the earthly actions of man, but every man is a 
register within himself — within his nature; his 
actions or works are written therein — yes, the very 
thoughts of the heart — and if evil or carnal, can- 
not be erased therefrom by any other erasure but 
the erasure of nature, and if erased therefrom 
must be erased in this life, because when you have 
entered into the future life you cannot again return 
to this life, where the erasing must be done. Man 
made use of his will without hindrance when he 
fell — it yielding to the evil spirit — and he must 
also make use of his will without interference, to 
be restored to purity. In his fall the evil spirit 
assisted him ; in his restoration the Holy Spirit will 
assist him. In his fall the evil spirit was victori- 
ous ; in his restoration the Holy Spirit must be 
victorious. 

It requires two beings to make a covenant ; it 
requires two beings to fulfill a covenant. Gqd has 



77 



made a covenant between himself and man, and 
has based and sealed that covenant on laws of 
nature; and the fulfillment of that covenant rests 
entirely with us, God having done His portion, in 
the atoning blood of His only son ; and if we do 
our part towards the fulfillment of that covenant, 
we are as certain to receive the reward promised as 
we receive the light of the sun, because His laws 
of nature which He has established — based and 
sealed His covenant on, — so decrees it; and just 
as certain as we do not do our part towards the 
fulfillment of that covenant, so certain will we not 
receive the reward promised therein ; but the re- 
ward of punishment from the violated law. When 
God made the covenant, he made it with a being 
that did comply to His laws of spiritual purity, or 
with a being that the law recognized in all its de- 
tails, or fully revealed the law in the flesh. So we 
are, through conscience, responsible to that cove- 
nant, and if we do not fulfill it we must suffer the 
consequences. So, then, by nature, man is in a 
lost and ruined condition, in spite of himself. 
Will you come to Jesus and live, or be eternally 
lost? 



78 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OP ZION. 

When man was created, lie was created a free- 
will, rational, depending, responsible moral agent, 
placed on the earth as such, possessing only the 
knowledge of good, knowing no evil, having not 
yet indulged in evil ; but his fall, caused by his 
disobedience to God, caused him to know evil, then 
indulging in evil. We being free-will beings, we 
can either indulge in good or evil, as it suits us ; 
so, at present, man is indulging in both ; so there 
exists no unity, but confusion, because there exists 
a collision between good and evil, right and wrong, 
truth and untruth. 

What causes this evil and collision to exist? 
Why, the collision existing between the will of 
God and the will of man; and just as fast as our 
will is brought into harmony with the will of God, 



79 



so fast this earthly collision between good and evil 
disappears, because evil decreases and good in- 
creases ; so all good emanates from God, and all 
evil emanates from man. Look at man's created 
perfection in the flesh, and the wonderful mechan- 
ism displayed in the body, regardless of all the 
warring he does against it, and what imperfection 
does exist in it is caused by his warring against it. 
And why is this portion of man so perfect ? Be- 
cause there exists no will to consult in the flesh 
and that mechanism ; but in our spirit exists a 
will, and if that will in our spirit would yield and 
submit itself to the will of God as the flesh and that 
mechanism does or must ; the spiritual man would 
be as perfect as the natural man. Oh, what vir- 
tue, perfection, bliss, pure love, and happiness 
would then exist in man, or the human family ! 
Christianity, as pointed out to us in the Holy 
Scriptures, is the remedy adopted by our Heavenly 
Father to bring man into that state of purity with- 
out coercion or compulsion ; coercion or compul- 
sion would be regardless of the will of the being, 
which would annihilate the law and principle of 
free-agency or free-will existing within him, and 



80 



prevent the law of pure and holy love being devel- 
oped within him. Regeneration develops that law 
of pure and holy love within our hearts and 
nature ; which law destroys and consumes the evil 
existing within our hearts and nature ; which law 
passes man into Heaven, where it will then be 
brought to the very height of its development and 
perfection, giving free access to everything that 
Heaven can afford. If you will not willingly, 
and with a loving heart, surrender evil or self-love 
while living in this life, how can you expect to do 
it in the future life, or state ? As you live and 
die, (in the flesh) of the same nature will your soul 
be in the future state. What it inherited from the 
flesh will remain with it. " As the tree falleth, so 
it shall lie." 

If you have neglected to be reborn of the spirit 
through the true faith, then, at death, when the 
soul has left the body, you would wish to be rid off 
its evil nature implanted within it through the 
flesh, by inheritance ; but it is then too late ; it is 
finished ; the soul has already left the body, and 
cannot return to go through the required regenera- 
tion and purification ; and the soul disunited from 



81 



the body, cannot accomplish it, because that law 
requires both soul and body to be united to accom- 
plish it ; and you have already passed into another 
law and state of existence without making the vital 
change. Sin entered through the flesh, and must 
come out through the flesh. In the garden of 
Eden, the flesh, with the assistance of the evil 
spirit, controlled the will, and caused the will to 
violate a certain nature, thereby imprisoning the 
soul in sin, or a carnal nature. A certain other 
nature must, in return, with the assistance of the 
good spirit, control the will, reconquer the flesh 
and evil spirit, and release from that prison the 
soul ; which, if it has not done at death, the evil 
spirit and flesh will still remain victorious. And 
does the victor not claim and receive the spoil, 
regardless of all the wishes of the vanquished to 
the contrary. 

In Heaven exists no collision, but unity, which 
is love made pure. Pure and holy love is truth ; 
has no deviation; and where that exists, causes 
unity to exist. So, if you wish to enter into the 
Kingdom of Heaven, you must die with that law 
developed within your soul and nature ; so, there 



82 



are two places in the future state for the sake of 
unity ; one for those that preferred the world and 
self love, and one for those that preferred the love 
of Jesus ; then there will exist no confusion and 
collision between good and evil, or carnal and 
holy nature. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

How can a person expect to be pardoned from 
sin if he does not go about it in a natural 
manner for to obtain it? The way to pardon 
salvation, and eternal life in Heaven, in that per- 
fect law of God, exists through repentance and 
faith; or is only obtainable through repentance 
and faith — which repentance is the cause that will 
produce pardon, and through pardon and faith, 



83 



grace, obedience, salvation and eternal life. What 
would be the use of us shedding tears when we have 
no reason or cause to do so? And the reason we 
do not, is because it is unnatural. What would be 
the use of granting us pardon when we do not 
desire it through repentance ? There is revealed 
the harmony and perfection of God's laws, making 
it possible for us to receive, — through nature, — 
pardon, if we desire it through nature, by repent- 
ance ; and impossible to receive it if we do not 
desire it through nature, by not repenting. We 
cannot receive pardon from sin, through the form of 
words ; but we must receive it through the form of 
nature, because God's laws are based and framed 
on nature. Hence, pardon must come through 
nature. Hence, perfection, harmony and truth. 
Enacted laws used by man for government are 
framed in words ; hence, pardon through words 
does not remove the guilt, nor the cause which 
produced the effect creating the penalty ; and is 
frequently given through favor and bribes, which 
makes the laws of man, in the hands of man, and 
the ways of man imperfect, unjust, and not har- 
monious, and therefore untruthful ; and the ways 



84 



and laws of God perfect, just, harmonious, and 
therefore truthful ; hence, everlasting harmony and 
truth in God's spiritual kingdom. 

Man's method of communication, by nature, 
with each other, is by word ; so he, also, had to 
receive the law of God in word ; and also, on 
account of the law not being creatable into the 
nature of man unknown to him, on account of 
the will principle being concerned, which makes 
the word of God spirit ; because the words are 
used to represent a spiritual law in nature, and not 
an enacted law in word ; and it also makes the 
word life. How can a man expound the law 
which man uses at the bar of justice, if he is not 
acquainted with it, or has not learned it ! How 
can a man expound the Divine law of nature if he 
has not passed through its different stages until 
reached, and existing in it as a son of God ! Nor 
can every one expound it that has passed through 
its different stages until reached and existing in it 
as a son of God, because to all is not given the 
power. 



85 



CHAPTER XXV- 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

By sin entering into man the will violated a 
certain nature, which causes the will to predomi- 
nate over nature. If man will again be restored 
to purity, a certain nature must again control the 
will, not by force or coercion, but in a manner that 
will cause pleasure to the being — which pleasure 
is wrought through nature. By leaving the will 
free to act, nature is lying prostrate and helpless, 
under the barrier of the will of man, and the snares 
and temptation of the world ; so prostrate and strug- 
gling nature has received assistance by having the 
law and power of God revealed in word, in the 
Holy Scriptures, by the impression and influence 
it has on the will ; so the first act and step to re- 
pentance and obedience is done by the exercise of 



86 



the will — not by the exercise of nature — because 
nature, as I said before, lies prostrate and helpless. 
Then nature, or holy love, by great efforts, through 
all the assistance it does receive, to conform with 
the principles God has established by laws, will 
eventually control the will, being in a way that 
will create pleasure to the being; then that re- 
pented sinner is again made perfect out of a state 
of imperfection, which man and the evil spirit had 
placed him into, through the exercise of the will, 
being then again placed into the harmonious and 
perfect law of God, and can, therefore, at death, be 
an heir to His kingdom. 



87 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

All the good we possess we derive from and 
through God, and from God we derive no evil ; 
but all the evil we possess we derive from our- 
selves, by following after the dictates of the flesh, 
wherein Satan has his power. The human race is 
living under so many falsities, and freely indulg- 
ing in them, that it is surprising that they have 
not already drifted out of existence as a race ; but 
here, as in other matters, is the great power and 
wisdom of God displayed in His laws of nature — 
they continually repairing the breaches man is 
making in the flesh, and preserving him a long 
time, regardless of all the warring he does against 
his physical laws of nature. 

Man is in enmity to God in his spiritual laws of 
nature, or else he could not be in enmity to him in 



88 



his physical laws of nature. His being in enmity 
to God in his spiritual laws of nature, causes him 
to be in enmity to Him in his physical laws of 
nature, which produces injury to the flesh, and 
eventually death in body and flesh ; and just as 
long preserving as God is to us-ward in our viola- 
tion of His physical laws of nature, is He also in 
our violation of His spiritual laws of nature ; but 
as man's reward is eventually a shattered constitu- 
tion for his violation of God's physical laws of 
nature, so is his reward also coming for his viola- 
tion of His spiritual laws of nature. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. « 

The man who is trying to work out a salvation 
and justification of his own, will make a great fail- 
ure, even if you cannot lay an earthly charge at 



89 



his door, in an earthly point of view. He has 
treated with contempt the method and plans of 
salvation adopted by a holy, all- wise and just God, 
who knows exactly what man requires, because He 
knows the law and principle he is created on, and 
exists under through the fall ; and knows every- 
thing thoroughly in the whole universe. 

Oh, thou feeble man ! wilt thou set thyself up 
against such a God, and undertake to teach Him 
wisdom ? Hast thou forgotten that thou art the 
creature, and not the creator ! He treats with con- 
tempt a crucified Saviour, and the mild and sooth- 
ing remedies existing spiritually in that bruised 
body which should have been administered to his 
soul to assist it to completely and forever remove 
the spiritual gangrene existing in the heart and 
nature — composed of a carnal nature and all evil 
elements contracted through the entrance of sin 
into man — which gangrene exists more or less in 
every person's heart or nature. It may be more 
developed in some than others, for some cause or 
other ; and as long as that remains, that wound — 
which Satan gave us — -can never heal up ; it must 
be completely removed and cleansed through the 



90 



Holy Spirit, before it will be in a condition to heal 
up. Then grace and holy love will completely 
and forever heal it up; and if he was sorely 
tempted he could not be trusted. Would he be 
willing to die, if necessary, with a loving heart for 
the cause of truth, which our Lord and Saviour 
represents. If death called on him in a moment 
could he, with full confidence and trust, and a lov- 
ing heart, cast himself into the arms of Jesus ? 
He could not — he would then have to be rejected 
as being unworthy of a home in Heaven. 

Circumstances very often makes man be what 
he is — good in an earthly point of view, which is 
not a reliable foundation or guarantee such as 
Heaven recognizes. Circumstances must not make 
man what he should be, even if earthly judgment 
was recognized ; but man must be above circum- 
stances — be the same man in whatever circum- 
stance he is placed in — which is the judgment 
Heaven recognizes — even firmness unto death ; not 
a heart filled with pride unto death — the element 
which gives the man of honor, as the world styles 
it, firmness unto death ; nor the element that gives 
the dying criminal firmness on the scaffold — think- 



91 



ing to die game ; but I mean the element that 
gave our Lord and Saviour firmness on the cross — 
a heart filled with overflowing holy love for suffer- 
ing humanity, towards a guilty, lost and sinful 
world, which He wished to redeem. He did not 
give His life for the sake of worldly honor or 
pride, but He gave it as a ransom for many. We 
must all pass under that one arch-way — under the 
spiritual cross of Jesus ; there is no road leading 
around it that leads to Heaven ; but all roads lead- 
ing around it leads to destruction. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZICXN*. 

If men who were conducting a responsible busi- 
ness, and had responsible positions to be filled 
therein, they would not call on irresponsible and 



92 



Worthless persons to fill them ; but they would re- 
quire them to have the best of testimonials — and 
they would much rather have a responsible ac- 
quaintance of their own to testify to their tried 
honesty, tried moral characters, and capabilities of 
the applicants, before they would feel satisfied to 
give them full control over the positions. The 
worthy and the unworthy man and public opinion, 
would justify them in pursuing that course their 
conscience compels them to; so will the wicked 
and the just man justify God on judgment, when 
he wishes to enlarge His Kingdom of Heaven by 
filling the mansions there prepared, if He rejects 
the wicked soul — yes, the soul that has the least 
impurity about it, and accepts the soul that has 
been tried in the fire of spiritual purification by 
being reborn of the spirit through our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ ; so that it is proof against 
all the cunning and deception that Satan can bring 
to bear upon it ; so that it will not be ignited and 
create a general conflagration. Those mansions 
dare not be defiled and polluted as they have once 
been here. Just men, worldly men, and even the 



\ 



93 



wickedest men, are justifying the ways and laws of 
God every day in their business and all worldly 
transactions. 



CHAPTER XXIX, 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

In the spiritual world there is no direct inter- 
ference or force used, but we are invited to enter 
into the gate of salvation, which is the only method 
that can be used to bridge the gulf existing between 
Heaven and earth, or God and man ; and where 
are the invitations written? They are written 
upon every leaf of the Bible ; on every leaf of a 
book written by a Christian author or philosopher 
on the subject of Christianity ; on nature all around 
us ; on our conscience ; the Holy Spirit invites us, 
and the church invites us, by its servants, to seek 
salvation — for which purpose the church was 



94 



established. But those invitations too readily meet 
dull ears and blind eyes, because they are crammed 
and blinded by worldly invitations, which are given 
the preference. 

Oh, how applicable, spiritually, is this passage 
of Scripture, to the world at the present day, 
which reads: " Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou 
that killest the prophets, and stonest them which 
are sent unto thee, how often would I have gath- 
ered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth 
her chickens under her wings, and ye would not !" 
Oh, how often has our merciful Heavenly Father 
said, Oh, come ! do come, dear children, and 
drink of the fountain of living water ! But man, 
not opening his lips to drink, he abuses that noble 
and precious gift, the law and principle of free- 
agency or free-will, by turning his back to the in- 
vitations, saying no, no, we love the world, the 
dictates of the flesh, better. Oh, man! Oh, 
woman ! will you prove yourselves worthy servants 
over this noble and precious gift, the law and prin- 
ciple of free-agency or free-will, which the grace 
of our Heavenly Father has bestowed upon you, so 
that when you depart from this life you can be 



95 



trusted with more precious gifts and weightier 
matters. Or will you prove yourselves unworthy 
servants over it, so that when you depart from this 
life it will be taken from you because you proved 
yourself unworthy to have it? If you prove 
yourself an unworthy servant over that which you 
already possess, how can you prove yourself 
worthy over greater matters ! 



CHAPTER XXX. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

When you have a case before the law for trial, 
as you place it with full confidence and trust into 
the hands of the lawyer and pursue his instruc- 
tions, so place your case which is to be tried before 
the spiritual laws of nature, into the hands of God 
and pursue His instructions, because God is fully 



96 



acquainted with those laws, as the lawyer is sup- 
posed to be acquainted with the law framed in 
words ; and God is not liable to err, but the law- 
yer is ; therefore, you should do it with greater con- 
fidence. 

During the time that our Lord and Saviour 
dwelt among men in the nature of man, He estab- 
lished such a conviction and faith within His 
apostles which did not have the least of wavering, 
so He became a solid foundation to build and rest 
the church upon, and the apostles became the wit- 
nesses to that foundation, so that all the wisdom of 
the world and Satan could never undermine it, or 
even make an impression on it. As the apostles 
saw the divine hand in it before their own eyes, 
we see it through nature, because we know what 
occurred was outside of the regular order of nature, 
even regardless of the miracles and resurrection, 
because that was the apostles' conviction ; but I 
mean their actions, hardships, sacrifices, and purse- 
cutions they withstood without yielding, being all 
outside of the regular order of nature, or carnal 
nature, because it requires a false heart to prac- 
tice a deception, and a false or deceiving heart 



97 



would not withstand all the sufferings, hardships, 
persecutions, sacrifices and self-denials, as they did, 
nor were those apostles a party of dissatisfied per- 
sons, withdrawing from the Jewish Church ; but 
mostly poor men of an inferior education, lacking 
what the world would style wisdom, having no 
interested connection with the Jewish Church — 
that is, no leading or influential connection with 
it — but called by God to assist to lay the founda- 
tion of a church established on the solid founda- 
tion of truth, such as ever was and ever will be. 
To be a Christian and advocate it in those days 
was to have death staring you in the face, because 
the whole Jewish Church and government officials 
were incensed against them, threatening death, and 
also the people, on account of it striking at their 
habitual customs. The evil spirit being rampant, 
bringing every machinery he could to bear against 
that then appearing feeble foundation of truth, 
Satan making servants and dupes of all men he 
had under his control, and did not stop at murder 
because he is a murderer. But that spark of truth 
withstood the storm and lived, ever did live and 
ever will live, or remain victorious over untruth. 



98 



For the apostles to withstand all those elements of 
Satan and Hell arrayed against them, they must 
have had truth and the spirit of truth to assist 
them ; if not they must have been different from 
any other human beings ; and how did they come 
in possession of that truth ? Why, seeing with 
their own eyes, through the medium of the 
Saviour's flesh, spiritual matters which were other- 
wise incomprehensible to them in their then exist- 
ing life and state of existence. Our Lord and 
Saviour using His flpsh as a medium to show the 
power and glory of God by healing the sick, 
curing the blind, raising the dead, and many other 
miracles performed, and the examples he showe d 
in his life, showing them what a man should be, 
and showing them if they lived as near as they 
could by invoking the assistance of Almighty God, 
up to the example he set for them, then how death 
and the grave would be swallowed up in victory by 
the soul inheriting and ascending to immortal life 
in glory. First he set the example to the apostles 
in his life, what must be done and what is required 
to inherit eternal life in Heaven, and afterwards 
verified it in his resurrection, by being in person or 









99 



within himself, the bearing messenger of the vic- 
tory. So, then, they saw with their own eyes and 
could not help but believe — convinced of its truth. 
Hence, faith and grace; hence, firm as a rock, 
against all that could be brought to bear against 
them ; and what important and vital lesson did 
they learn through the Saviour in person and in 
grace ? That they must never resent it when per- 
secuted for religion's sake, because His kingdom 
was based on the corner stone of holy love. So 
our Saviour did not use force or coercion to cause 
their obedience, or cause them to enter into the 
gate of salvation ; but there were methods and 
processes adopted to win their obedience through 
winning their love, voluntarily from the bestower, 
which love would draw them into the gate of sal- 
vation, after him, and we after them. So, then, 
our Lord and Saviour becomes naturally as 
well as spiritually, through nature, the connecting 
link between God and man, which was broken and 
severed through sin ; first link was in the nature 
of a command ; now it is a law of nature or holy 
love, if we will only, as free-will beings, do our 
part to connect ourselves to that link, as nature 



100 



and philosophy demands. The link did not only- 
then come into existence, but ever was, but was 
never manifested to man in the flesh as such until 
then ; once it was manifested to man in the flesh, 
withstanding the test of faith in Abraham ; at 
another time it was manifested to man in the flesh 
in the nature of prophesy. So, then, by this 
means, our noble gift, the law and principle of 
free-agency or free-will, will have been kept intact 
by us still remaining as created, free-will, rational, 
and responsible moral agents. 

Yes, the conviction and faith which our Lord 
and Saviour created within the apostles during the 
time he dwelt among them on earth, in the flesh, 
and in his presence both natural, spiritual, and 
in grace after resurrection, stimulated them on to 
action to spread the gospel truth, which made them 
proof against all hardships, persecutions and suf- 
ferings that could be brought to bear against them. 
So the church was established on a solid founda- 
tion, without a wavering of faith. 

Peter denied our Lord and Saviour several times 
in succession when He was brought before the high 
priest Caiaphas, even in face of all the miracles 



101 



that our Lord had performed before his eyes ; there 
we have an example of the weakness of the flesh, 
which is a good example to those just starting in 
the way of truth. When our Lord and Saviour 
seen fit to place himself, into the power of man for 
Peter's sake and good, and for the sake and good 
of the world, Peter's faith weakened, through fear 
and the power of man, he not yet comprehend- 
ing its necessity; but after our Lord's resur- 
rection, which finished the work — and finished 
it well — not one of his apostles denied him ; 
and his being absent from among them, they 
then sacrificed all worldly interests, and spread 
the gospel truth, withstanding all kinds of hard- 
ships and persecutions — even unto death — without 
yielding. What gave them that firmness, tenacity, 
faith, and love, when before they doubted so easy ? 
Why, grace ; our Lord and Saviour's resurrection, 
He coming among them showing them that man 
and the evil spirit had power to kill the flesh, but 
not the soul ; nothing else could have given them 
that firmness, tenacity, faith and love, because their 
example is contrary to known nature. 

And another evidence existing to verify this 
truth — and there is no limit to evidence — is about 



102 



the Jewish Church, the enemies of that truth, assist- 
ing in fulfilling the prophecies concerning our Lord 
and Saviour, or the truth he was establishing and 
manifesting to man in the flesh, becoming them- 
selves witnesses to substantiate that truth, and wit- 
nesses against themselves without knowing it at 
the time ; that is naturally the way of carnal 
natured or worldly minded, in spiritual matters — 
looking only to present effects. So we can go on 
seeing in the spiritual world the inexhaustible 
natural philosophy existing in this plan of salva- 
tion, proving its truthfulness, if we will only heed 
it. Oh, how God's servants and His laws of 
nature, invites you, begs you, attracts you, to enter 
into the gate of salvation while living on earth in 
the flesh ; but if you have neglected to heed them 
while living in this nature or state of existence, 
oh, how they will then reject you ! Those laws of 
nature, the servants of God, ate the judges, and 
make the final decision, and never make a wrong 
one. Oh, how those influences and attractions of 
God are rejected by the will existing in man ! 
rather gratifying the flesh, which dieth and passes 
away, than to seek after the release of the soul 
from sin. Hence, everlasting ruin. 



103 



CHAPTER XXXI, 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

The soil of this earth is capable of producing 

wheat for man, but man must sow the seed — the 

grain of wheat into it — before it will produce it 

for him. The Kingdom of Heaven is also 

capable of producing for man immortal life in 

glory ; but before it will produce it for him he 

must have the seed of righteousness and holiness 

developed in his nature, by being reborn of the 

spirit. Oh, will you have it developed in your 

nature through the influence of the Holy Spirit, so 

that it will contain the proper elements to penetrate 

1 through the nature inclosing Heaven ? 

« If you sow wheat in the soil of the earth, it 

apparently dieth, but it springeth up again and 

yieldeth ; and if you had sown thistles, in return 

you would have received thistles from that seed ; 



104 



and every time you sow wheat, in return you will 
receive wheat from that grain. And why ? Be- 
cause the nature of that grain is wheat, and will 
produce nothing else; so, is also the nature of 
man's soul carnal, and will produce nothing else 
but carnal fruit unless it is cleansed and the nature 
of it changed from its carnal nature to a holy 
nature by being spiritually reborn. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZIOIST. 

When we are mocked or ridiculed for following 
a Christian life, we must never resent it, even if 
we are ever so capable of getting the better of our 
adversary, because the moment we resent we come 
into collision and violate unity — the law of pure 
and holy love, which is the essence — the law that 



105 



governs in Heaven. Our Lord and Saviour did 
not resent it when He was nailed on the cross ; 
and while hanging on those nails, in that bruised 
condition, being taunted by the populace with the 
most cutting remarks, which was in this wise : 
"Save thyself, if thou be the Son of God. Come 
down from the cross. He saved others, himself he 
cannot save." But our Lord and Saviour knew 
why he did not resent, but the populace did not ; 
and a true Christian knows why he does not resent, 
but the worldly do not, because they do not taste or 
feel that grace in the heart, as the true Christian 
does, which prevents him from resenting and gives 
him pleasure to do so. 

By our Lord letting Satan have his full sway, 
even unto death, made it possible for us to inherit, 
through Him, eternal life in Heaven ; otherwise 
we could not have inherited it through Him be- 
cause He would not have broken the powers of hell ; 
because Satan would have been victorious but by 
«His death and resurrection in the manner and 
nature it was. He broke the power of hell by 
teaching and showing the Apostles in person the 
mysteries of salvation ; and we learning the mys- 



106 



teries of that salvation through His and the apos- 
tles' actions and deeds. 

The writers of the New Testament assert the 
appearance, doctrines, crucifixion, and resurrection 
of the Son of God for the purpose of taking away 
the sins of all that will come unto Him. The 
writers of the Testament assert this, and at the 
same time prove it in spiritual nature — which testi- 
mony cannot be questioned ; and the actions and 
deeds of the apostles taken into consideration, with 
all concerned, is that testimony and witness written 
in nature, and will appear plainer as time passes 
on. "We have a great witness of that truth in the 
Apostle Paul — knowing that a person possesssed 
of a carnal nature and mind could not have writ- 
ten as he wrote in his epistles to the different 
churches. I do not mean the wisdom concerned 
in the words of those epistles, but I mean the 
nature of them ; the nature of those words and 
explanations are altogether foreign, unknown, un- 
natural to a carnal nature and mind. And how is 
this carnal nature and mind changed to a holy 
nature and mind? Why, by true faith in our 
Saviour, and no other possible way. So Paul 



107 



must have had the true faith to become in posses- 
sion of that holy nature and mind, which a person 
must possess to write in the nature that he wrote ; 
60, then, his assertion concerning his conversion 
must be true, or else he could not have had the 
true faith ; and, therefore, not have a holy nature 
and mind. 

The whole writings of the New Testament are 
unnatural to a carnal nature and mind, and there- 
fore could not have been written by persons pos- 
sessing a carnal nature and mind, but must have 
been written by persons possessing a holy nature 
and mind; and a carnal nature and mind only 
being possible to be changed to a holy nature and 
mind through true faith, so all the writers of the 
New Testament must have had the true faith, 
which they could not have had unless our Lord 
and Saviour did really raise from the dead, as 
asserted ; so their assertions concerning our Lord's 
resurrection must be true ; if not they could not 
* have had the true faith, and, therefore, the New 
Testament could not have been written in the man- 
ner and nature it is, nor could other men have 
written it and claimed it to have been written by 



108 



the asserted authors, because they would then not 
have been possessed with the true faith, and there- 
fore possessed of a carnal nature and mind. Even 
the very writings of the New Testament, or their 
nature, is a witness of this great truth. We can, 
then, leave out of the question altogether, by 
whom, when or how they were written, or how 
they might have been written? 

Our Lord and Saviour, during the time he dwelt 
among men, in the flesh of man, went on con- 
quering and conquering Satan, sin, the flesh and 
the world, until he drew, on the cross, his very 
last breath, which caused him to be victorious, 
ascend into Heaven and sit on the right hand of 
God for ever and ever ; and if we have the true 
faith in our Lord and Saviour, we can also go on 
conquering and conquering Satan, sin, the flesh 
and the world, until we draw our very last breath 
and receive the reward promised. 

Oh, how many may say they have faith, but 
how far may it be from the true, loving or saving 
faith, such that is only experienced by a true 
Christian ; they will say, I believe there is a God 
and a Saviour, and they would like to go to 



109 



Heaven, and hope they will, and believe that God 
would not be so hard on them, because they had 
done a great amount of good, which they hoped 
would cancel or be a set-off against the evil ; but 
they are not certain about it, because they lack the 
justification ; and the sooner you change the subject 
the better they will like it — not wanting to know 
God ; neither will God know them when they 
want Him to. Then there are others that you can 
not lay an earthly charge at their door, in an 
earthly point of view. Ask them ; Do you 
believe in God, in our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ? They will say, Why, certainly I do. 
Then ask them : Do you indulge in this or in 
that? They will say, Why, certainly I do, there 
is no sin or harm in that ; if God requires that of 
me, He would take away all my pleasure, and be 
a very hard master. They will say in their mind, 
away with such a God, away with such a God if 
He requires that of me. They lack the spiritual 
pleasure and joy, through grace, to take the place 
of the supposed worldly pleasure. To all such I 
would say, beware ! you are continually building 
your house on a sandy foundation, and when the 



110 



storm comes and beats against it (which is death) 
it will be compelled to fall and go down into ever- 
lasting ruin. Oh, man ! penetrate by faith down 
deep through the quicksand of sin, until you come 
on the solid rock, before you build your spiritual 
house or hopes thereon- Then when the storm 
comes and beats against it, it will be able to with- 
stand that storm, and forever stand on a solid and 
firm foundation ; you will then have the love of 
Jesus in your heart; he will be dwelling with you, 
having received of His spirit which casteth out all 
man-fearing spirit — takes the place of supposed 
worldly pleasures, and makes you happier than all 
the worldly pleasures you ever had, I care not what 
they were ; because it is then as natural for you to 
be so as it was natural for you to be as before, 
because the Saviour's love is altogether lovely, and 
makes you capable of resisting all earthly storms 
and temptations which Satan can bring to bear 
against you. 



Ill 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

As I said before, the man that has lived a good 
and moral life, in an earthly point of view, and 
has neglected to do his part as commanded — to be 
reborn of the spirit, through our Lord and Saviour, 
thinking to be his own judge, will not be justified 
in the sight of God, because he has treated with 
contempt a holy, all-wise and just God's plan of 
redemption, or his conditions of p^ace to a fallen 
race — treating with contempt the bruised body of 
a crucified Saviour or His only son. 
I The spirit that causes him to pursue that course 
is the very spirit the Saviour sacrificed himself for. 
It is known that men have led good moral lives 
for a number of years, and at the latter end they 
would turn out to be worthless ; while they were 



112 



leading that good life in an earthly point of view, 
the evil seed was all the while lying dormant 
within them, suppressed for some cause or reason, 
but the fact of it being there made it liable to ger- 
minate, spring up at any time, which it did, and 
produced its evil effects. So it matters not how 
good a life a person leads, in an earthly point of 
view, if he has not been spiritually reborn that 
evil seed lies there within his nature ; it may be 
dormant, suppressed for some cause or reason, but 
the fact of its being there will never make it safe, 
and will exclude him from Heaven. If God was 
dealing with a lifeless lump of clay, or a brute, 
He might instantly pluck out the defect existing 
there, but He is in this case dealing with a free-will 
rational being, as himself, so you must also be 
willing to have the defect remedied, as commanded ; 
or do you want that law and principle of free- 
ageney or free-will plucked out of you root and 
branch, which you would if God plucked the evil 
or defect out of your nature without consulting 
you, or you being willing to have it removed ? 
Is it not all philosophy? For illustration : Sup- 
posing you had a cancer on your body; you 



113 



could have it cut out, but if by having it cut out 
you would have your life cut out with it, it would 
profit you nothing to have it removed in that man- 
ner, because you would lose your life — your all ; 
go it would be best to leave it remain. There is an 
evil or carnal element in our nature or heart ; we 
can have it cut out, but by having it removed in 
that manner, we would have our noble gift — the 
law and principle of free-agency or free-will — cut 
out with it ; so it would profit us nothing to have 
it removed in that manner, because we would lose 
all that would be worth remaining in existence for 
by having lost our free-will ; and God would profit 
nothing to have it removed in that manner, because 
we would be inferior to what we were before. Our 
Heavenly Father will have us redeemed as free- 
will, rational beings, or else He will not have us 
redeemed at all, for our sake, His sake and truth's 
sake. 

Oh, man ! do no longer place God's ways on a 
level with man's ways. That holy, all-wise and 
just God has devised a process that will cut root 
and branch of that evil or carnal element out of 
our nature, without cutting out or even into our 



114 



noble gift of free-will, and that is the remedy 
as explained through the Saviour. Oh, man! 
Oh, woman! Surrender your heart to God, our 
creator, so that the Holy Spirit can commence its 
work of renovation therein, and cast out all its 
impurities, by casting out all existing therein that 
is profane — by replacing it with holiness, so that 
your heart and nature will be in conformity with 
the will of God, or else you can never see God. 
Uncleanness and untruth can never look upon 
God, because it cannot penetrate to His throne ; 
His laws of nature will not permit it. 

A worldly minded man, during his existence 
here on earth, is by and through nature far from 
God — not knowing Him ; and death in that con- 
dition takes him still further away from God — so 
far that he can never find Him, because he can 
never again return to this pathway of life, in which 
pathway we either find God or lose him for ever. 
The battle must be fought here, between righteous- 
ness and unrighteousness, between truth and un- 
truth. The Christian, in spirit and in truth, having 
his heart crucified of the carnal nature existing in 
the hearts of all mankind, through the fall of 



115 



Adam, is already, by and through nature, near 
unto God — knowing God ; and dying in that con- 
dition brings him nearer to God. He can then 
go on, advancing towards perfection, until he 
can see God, because he satisfied the law during 
his existence here. Satisfying the law in his 
then existing state, before passing into another law 
and state of existence, going on, ascending towards 
perfection — passing through, unraveling and justi- 
fying every law of nature, surrounding and inclos- 
ing the Throne of God, which makes him then 
through nature, perfect as God is perfect. Nothing 
but perfection leaves the throne of God, and noth- 
ing but perfection can return to the throne of God. 
God is not an experimental, but a perfect God, 
working on principles of perfection and truth be- 
yond improvement ; so, then, nothing but perfec- 
tion leaves His throne; and if that being has made 
himself imperfect through the exercise of his will, 
he cannot return to God in that imperfect manner, 
but must go through the required courses of nature, 
in his new state or order, which he had placed 
himself into for to become pure again. So, then, if 
that carnal nature has not been removed by the 



116 

spirit or grace of God, it would be as impossible 
for you to enter into Heaven as it would be for a 
man to live in his present law, or organization of 
existence, if the oxygin was abstracted from the air. 
That holy, all-wise and just God will not change 
one tittle of His laws to suit the notions of man, 
which He uses to control this universe in its moral 
or spiritual division. The spiritual laws must be 
as perfect as are the laws that control all matter • 
that controls and regulates the harmonious move- 
ments of the planets ; and where do we look to see 
these created, or natural laws in their perfection ? 
Why, in the sciences. And where do we look to 
see the harmony of the spiritual laws in God's 
government, in its moral or spiritual division ? 
Why, in Christ Jesus. 

Man, look at yourself and see where you are 
standing. Are you not a helpless creature without 
the good will of your Maker ? You are standing 
between Him and nature. Oh, how helpless, with- 
out His favor, He holding your very life in His 
hands. Why not come to Him. like children to a 
father, and be humble, seeking for peace and 
mercy? Has God sent His son here on earth just 



117 



to be passed by — merely noticed ? No ; but that 
we might learn His spiritual laws of perfection, 
through revelation; which cannot be acquired 
through education or our own searching. It would 
be as hard for man to search out, in his own 
strength, within his moral character, where enmity 
against God ceases and peace begins, as it would 
be for him to search for the ends of space ; but at 
the same time, that knowledge is placed close to 
us — which is to be a living branch in Christ Jesus ; 
then you have found it indeed. 

When God created man He created him, as I 
said before, perfect — after the law or order He 
created him in. So, then, God was individually 
responsible for his perfection in that state ; but 
man's fall, through his disobedience, by the exer- 
cise of his will, causes the imperfection. Then 
God is not responsible for the imperfection, because 
He did not create or place man into this state ; 
but as soon as we are redeemed and enter into 
Heaven, God then, again, becomes individually 
responsible for our perfection in that state, because 
we have then entered into a law and order of ex- 
istence which God has assisted us to be placed into ; 



118 



so, then, when we are placed into Heaven, we will 

be again perfect in that order accordiug to that law 

of existence. As man was created perfect in his 

first order of existence, according to that law of 
existence, so, then, when we are redeemed, through 

the quickening spirit or grace of God, we are 

sons and heirs through inheritance^ for ever. 
Hence, the impossibility for man, in his own 

strength, to search out within his moral character 

or spiritual existence, where enmity against God 

ceases and peace begins, for to come into that 

state of existence. 

Man, are you not an admirer of perfection ? 
What would you think if you were placed into 
Heaven in an imperfect condition ? Therefore, 
pursue God's instructions and be a living branch 
in Christ Jesus, then you will be just what you 
admire when you enter Heaven — perfection in that 
nature of existence. 

God is the source of all life, power and wisdom ; 
then He has no equal in existence, so His power 
and wisdom is unlimited because there is no other 
being in existence to equal it. Let man no more 
question God, why He did not do this or that — 



119 



our power and wisdom being limited, His power 
and wisdom being unlimited. Oh man ! depend- 
ant being, wilt thou continue to question the jus- 
tice and wisdom of that holy and unlimited power 
of wisdom ? No, we should much rather seek for 
the salvation of our souls in the manner we have 
been taught in His word. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

In the 48th verse of the 12th chapter ■ of the 
Gospel according to St. John, you will find these 
words of our Lord and Saviour : " He that re- 
jecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one 
that judgeth him ; the word that I have spoken, the 
same shall judge him in the last day/' How could 
the word judge him ; what does the word repre- 



120 



sent ? Why, it represents a spiritual law in nature; 
the words standing as a representative of the dif- 
ferent elements of the law, instead of the elements ; 
because the elements are not perceptible to the eye 
or hearing, and are not creatable into the nature, 
on account of the barrier of the will principle. 
So we have the elements of the law represented to 
us in words ; and by faith we have the different 
elements of that spiritual law of nature developed 
within us. We are then by nature in the law. 
Our nature will then control and cause us to fulfill 
the law ; that is also the reason the word is called 
spirit, because it represents a spiritual law in na- 
ture ; that is also the reason our Lord and Saviour 
can justly say, even my words I have spoken shall 
condemn you, because the spiritual law represented 
in words condemned them in this life; and by 
rejecting the Saviour and his teachings they would 
then meet that same law in future life condemning 
them — transformed into nature, or as it existed in 
Christ Jesus ; that is also the reason the word can 
be called life, because it represents a law that can 
give to man eternal life in Heaven. 

You may go to church regularly, and say, I am 



121 



not rejecting Jesus or his words, because I am 
going to church. But have you got his love in 
your heart, which is the law ? Does your heart 
bound with joy and love for holiness when you are 
in church ? Do you feel as if you should all be 
brothers and sisters spiritually ? Are you drink- 
ing out of that cup of inexhaustable holy love, 
which is your shield and strength — which never 
yields in temptation — holds you firm against all 
earthly storms, and gives you spiritual wisdom? 
Does your hearts possess this ? If not you are 
rejecting Jesus and his word, even if you attend 
church half your time, or do ever so much in your 
own way for Christianity. If you say you are not 
rejecting Jesus and his word you deceive yourself. 
Man is working against his best interests in re- 
jecting, with his will, the word of God, because he 
is rejecting that which would give him eternal life 
in Heaven ; because the word is to him the seed of 
that life. Will you continue to reject it or will 
you receive it by coming to Jesus ? As he cast 
out the evil spirits naturally, so will he cast them 
out spiritually ; as he healed the sick in the flesh, 
so will he heal the sick in spirit ; as he healed the 



122 



lame in the flesh, causing them to leap with joy, 
so will he heal the lame in spirit, and fill their 
souls with joy ; as he cured the paralyzed in the 
flesh, so will he cure those that have their souls 
paralyzed in sin ; as he fed great multituds on a 
few loaves and fishes, he can also feed multitudes 
with the spiritual bread of life to nourish their 
soul unto eternal life ; as he raised the dead in the 
flesh, so can he raise the spiritually dead. 

I have found, and you will find if you seek 
earnestly, because our Lord and Saviour says that 
every one will have administered to them according 
to their needs. No matter what your condition is, 
you will have administered to you, by the Holy 
Spirit, according to your needs, — for conviction 
and transformation, while the process of convic- 
tion and transformation is going on — strengthening 
of faith, holy love through holy love, change of 
nature through change of nature ; justification, — 
because old things having passed away in the na- 
ture and new things taken their place. 

I will explain this passage of Scripture in differ- 
ent words, which reads thus : " He that rejecteth 
me and receiveth not my words, hath one that 



123 

£ 
judgeth him on the last day ; even the word that I 

have spoken the same shall judge him in the last 
day." The Saviour's words or teachings, actions, 
and deeds, emanated from the law of God — the 
law which would exist in all mankind if they 
obeyed God's commandments in spirit and in truth, 
which law is the law of righteousness, truth, holiness 
and love. So then, the Saviour's moral deeds and 
teachings are the representations of the law, and 
they condemn man within his conscience ; so man 
has received in this life the law in teachings and 
moral deeds, and will meet that same law in the 
future life, transformed into nature, or as it existed 
in Christ Jesus, condemning him, if not redeemed 
by that law. Is that law not greater than con- 
science ; so, then, man in his carnal or natural con- 
dition is condemned within his conscience, in this 
life, in spite of himself, by the representatives of 
the law, and in future life by nature in spite of 
himself; and why is it so? Because spiritually 
we are philosophically composed of laws, or are a 
substance by laws. For example: The law of 
mind, reason, and will — those laws are universal, 
by inheritance, having them at the pleasure or 



124 



grace of God ; but there is one law which is not 
universal; that the unredeemed do not possess; 
which cannot be acquired through inheritance, but 
must be acquired through the quickening of the 
spirit ; which is the law that brings into its cap- 
tivity and control all laws in our spiritual and 
moral existence; which is the law that unites us 
through nature to God. What might we call this 
law? Oh, it is called by many names : righteous- 
ness, holiness, Jesus, truth, harmony, love. Oh, 
that pure love which is deeper than the earth and 
as high as the heavens, and for once is worthy the 
name love. Was not God and man, through 
nature, united in Jesus banishing death ? So must 
we all be united to God spiritually, through nature, 
if we wish to have a home in Heaven. Well, 
then, have the same mind, feeling, nature, and love 
Jesus had, and you are united indeed through 
nature. 



125 



CHAPTER [XXXV. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

These words of our Lord and Saviour are found 
recorded in the 29th and 30th verses of the 5th 
chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew : 

" And if thy eye offend thee, pluck it out, and 
cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee 
that one of thy members should perish, and not 
that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 

" And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, 
and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee 
that one of thy members should perish, and not 
that thy whole body should be cast into hell/' 

The eye and hand is naturally very dear to us, 
and to lose an eye or a hand would naturally 
place us into a position of disadvantage with the 
world, in a great many respects ; and that is the 



126 



reason it was used to transmit to us a spiritual 
truth. We must do this, in its spiritual sense, if 
we wish to become one of His followers ; it is the 
spiritual cross we must carry. What are the 
spiritual truths contained in those words? It 
means that if we are conducting a business in 
which we are compromising the cause of Christ to 
cut it off by discontinuing it. You may think it 
to be your only way of supporting yourself in this 
life ; but here is where faith comes in and requires 
to be exercised — that is a saving faith. " Seek ye 
first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, 
and all these things shall be added unto you/' 
There are many other ways in this world of getting 
along without compromising Christ's Kingdom. 
It means to be patient and long suffering, even if it 
does sometimes place you in an awkward position 
in the eyes of the world. You must suffer all for 
the sake of Jesus and His kingdom of truth — rec- 
ollecting he also suffered for you, even the death 
of the cross, placing himself at the time in an awk- 
ward position in the eyes of the world ; and all 
done for the sake of that law of unity or love, 
which unites God and man, so that law might live. 



127 



The world cannot look into your heart and account 
for your actions ; but there is one that can — who 
is the judge of the quick and the dead, who will 
give you a greater reward than the world can give. 
It means to discontinue all indulgences and habits 
that compromise the cause of Christ and His king- 
dom. It means to discontinue all dishonest deal- 
ings with your fellow men. It means to give your 
whole heart to God- — your besetting sin as a sacri- 
fice. When you have done this, and earnestly re- 
pented, seeking for the way — grace or holy love 
begins its work within your heart and nature, com- 
mencing its work of renovation, correcting you 
spiritually, making you able to bear up under that 
cross, making the cross light for you, purifying all 
your passions, giving you a holy instead of a car- 
nal nature, which if the world only knew its sweet- 
ness it would bow the knee to it ; elevating it 
higher than all the world. If that truth existed 
in ally Satan would no more step between man and 
wife, creating disturbance and unhappiness. Many 
a cup of sorrow would be turned into a cup of joy 
and bliss, and those who think they are drinking 
out of a good cup now, their cup would be an 



128 



overflowing cup of bliss. Those external things 
which I enumerated must all be done away with 
and earnestly seek salvation before you will find 
favor in the sight of God — before you will receive 
within your soul His love, a living and purifying 
grace, or before he will draw nigh unto you. 

Man, consider; did God not give the world or 
man a moral law before He gave them a natural 
Saviour ; the moral law could not save and give 
eternal life, but the Saviour can. So man can 
fully comply to the moral law, and that will not 
save him, but he must fully comply to the moral 
law, repent and earnestly seek salvation before he 
will receive the Saviour spiritually, or eternal life. 
Is that not the command of God through His son 
Christ Jesus. Those are God's conditions of peace, 
and whoever will comply will receive His grace 
and peace, and whoever will not comply will re- 
ceive His wrath for treating His commandments 
and conditions with contempt. 

It is possible for man to be led to repentance 
outside of the church, through the Holy Scriptures, 
but when that Holy Spirit commences to work 
within him, it will naturally lead him to some 



129 



church ; he will want to be where natures laws 
places him, through regeneration, the same as it 
would naturally place him into Heaven ; and if 
one says he has been converted through the Holy 
Scriptures, anci if there are different churches in 
his reach, and then not connects himself with one, 
and says he can be as good a Christian out of the 
church as in it, there is something wanting ; he 
has not received the love of Jesus ; he has not 
been converted or he would be where that trans- 
action through nature places him in the visible 
church the same as it would place him in Heaven. 
There is an assenting faith and a saving faith ; 
the assenting faith may cause you to join church 
and attend it regularly, thinking it your duty to do 
so, and may fulfill the whole moral law, and at 
the same time it will not save you. Saving faith 
will lead you to church by love. Love being then 
the cause that leads you there, and not merely duty, 
which is the fulfilling of the law ; you are then 
led there in harmony by nature and not through 
forcing yourself, only thinking it a duty, and then 
you are spiritually or naturally alive to God. 
When the Saviour said, " Let the dead bury their 



130 



dead," what did he mean ? Why, he meant for 
those that were spiritually dead to God, to bury 
the one that was then dead in the flesh. As 
long as you are led to church only thinking it 
a duty, you are spiritually or naturally dead to 
God. 



CHAPTER XXXVL 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Once when attending divine service I heard a 
minister deliver a very good sermon as though he 
were really in the light; but I knew his fruit was 
not in balance with his discourse. I was surprised 
how it was that he could say so much concerning 
the light and not being in the light ; but the spirit 
explained it to me, telling me he had intruded upon 
holiness, which can be done on earth but not in 



131 



Heaven, he having borrowed his light from minis- 
ters and theologians who were in the light. What 
will I compare this to ? I will compare it in the 
natural world with the sun and moon. Astrono- 
mers say that the moon has no light within itself, 
but borrows its light from the sun. Oh, man ! 
how long was you deceived, thinking the moon 
was giving you its own light, deceiving you, having 
borrowed it from the sun ; and if the sun was 
taken away there would be great darkness in the 
moon and earth ; and if that minister would not 
have had those theologians and ministers to borrow 
his light from, and he not being in the light of 
the Son of God the darkness would then have been 
very great. The Son of God had given to him 
light and life within himself, and all the sons of 
man that will come unto Him will receive light 
and life within themselves, becoming sons of God, 
causing their fruit to be in harmony and balance 
with their profession, and will, therefore, at death, 
stand firm within the light, having it not borrowed, 
but having it within themselves. My soul was 
grieved for the sake of the lambs in the flock, being 
yet weak in their faith, requiring nursing and 



132 



nourishment, and he administering death instead 
of nourishment. Oh, what a responsibility rested 
upon him ! 

Well did the Saviour say to Peter, " Lovest thou 
me more than these ? Feed my lambs." Well did 
the Saviour say, "Ye shall know them by their 
fruits." A great responsibility rests on all profess- 
ing Christians, in what kind of food they admin- 
ister to the lambs. When you are hungry and eat 
your meal, when you are thirsty and take a drink 
of water, it gives your soul pleasure to do so; just 
as much pleasure spiritually must it give your soul 
to attend to your religious duty, or else you are not a 
Christian in spirit and in truth. Assumed religious 
duties, through form alone, and through worldly 
motives, are all forced religious duties, and are 
worthless in whatever heart they are found, and 
are an abomination before God ; and all religious 
duties are forced where the person is not led to do 
them by the influence of holy love, or seeking for 
the way in an earnest spirit. 

Some elevate God very high in their imagina- 
tions, but not in their hearts, causing them to alto- 
gether forget the duty devolving on themselves or 



133 



their own importance concerned in this salvation, 
expecting God to do all for them, as though they 
were nothing but matter, shocked and amazed at 
you when you place God and man each in their 
proper nature, which causes them to go down into 
everlasting ruin by not seeking salvation as com- 
manded at the foot of the cross of Jesus, by bear- 
ing His spiritual cross — they trying to serve God 
in their own way. 

This salvation is altogether a question of nature, 
nature being concerned in it instead of words. 
When God's law concerned in creation is violated, 
the penalty exists in the law, the law inflicting the 
penalty, and if the penalty is to be removed again, 
it must be removed by the law. When man vio- 
lated God's law, his penalty was death, an evil and 
depraved nature ; so, then, the penalty can only 
be removed by the law through nature, not by 
word, saying come into paradise, you are pardoned, 
your sins are forgiven you ; why, you could not 
exist there ; you would be prostrated by its glory, 
as was St. Paul on his way to Damascus, being 
unnatural to it. So, then, nature being concerned 
in our pardon from sin, so pardon must be granted 



134 



or accomplished through the form or process of 
nature. When man violates the law of the land 
he does not violate a law of nature, so the penalty 
is not inflicted on him by the law through nature, 
but by the law through man in the form of words ; 
therefore there is no nature concerned ; therefore 
the penalty can be removed by words, and receive 
pardon from crime through words; so when the 
law of man pardons, it removes the penalty and 
not the guilt, nor the cause that made the penalty 
necessary ; then it may be violated again by the 
same person. When the law of God pardons it 
removes the penalty, guilt, and the cause that pro- 
duced the effects ; making it beyond a possibility 
to again be violated by that being. 



135 



CHAPTER XXXVII, 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Our imperfection exists within our nature ; so 
when Adam disobeyed God it effected his and our 
nature, depraving it. So, then, a command or law 
of God to man concerning his creation or being, 
contains a different nature than the enacted law of 
man to man, or than a command of a father does 
to a child ; in the command or law of God there 
is nature concerned. So when Adam, or man, 
disobeyed God, he committed violence to a law of 
nature. Then after man having fell from his for- 
mer order, and again receives a command from 
God concerning his being or spiritual nature, and 
disobeys it, he commits violence to a spiritual law 
of nature that should be developed within him, 
which law must exist in man to become a son of 



136 



God. Our Lord and Saviour says, u Except a 
man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of 
God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, 
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born 
again." Are these words meaningless ? No ; they 
mean a great deal, but they are received and acted 
upon in general as though they were meaningless ; 
they concern our very spiritual and eternal exist- 
ence, and it behooves every rational being to act 
accordingly. Then, again, our Lord and Saviour 
said, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all 
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy 
mind, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor 
as thyself." This shows plainly that we must be 
spiritually reborn, or born again, because those two 
commandments represent a spiritual law in nature. 
And why do they represent a spiritual law in 
nature ? Because a man in his natural condition 
cannot love God in that manner and his neighbor 
as himself, because it is unnatural to him ; his 
nature not permitting. So, then, it being a spirit- 
ual law in nature, it must be developed in the 
nature of man, so that it will be natural, or so that 



137 



his nature will permit, or so that he can love God, 
as commanded, and his neighbor as himself. So, 
then, if man will not allow that law of spiritual 
nature to be developed within his nature by the 
spirit through the new birth, he is then, at death, 
out of the law, and is therefore forever lost ; and 
why ? Because, without the law existing within a 
person, they cannot enter or exist in Heaven, and 
they can no more return to this earth in their pres- 
ent nature to be placed within that law, they hav- 
ing forever or eternally lost their union with the 
flesh, which is fast returning to its mother earth. 
Let us examine ourselves and see if we understand 
and know its nature, or have existing within us this 
law : When you are in church do you feel holy 
love flowing from your heart Heavenward ? Do 
you feel the effects of the Holy Ghost in your 
heart, causing you to know that religion is a real- 
ity ? Do you feel as though you should all be 
brothers and sisters spiritually ? Are you doing 
all your influence and position can do to advance 
Christ's kingdom? — I mean your moral or spirit- 
ual influence— wherever nature has placed you, 
given through St. Paul's referred charity. Have 



138 



you that charity, oi* grace and holy love of God, 

shed abroad in your heart, which never yields in 

temptation, no matter how severe or accidental they 

fall across your path, or have you only conscience, 

which is liable to yield, and often has yielded? Oh, 

when you once have that grace or holy love in 

your heart, where you had before to keep your 

passions down by severe exertion when they were 

aroused, wanting their wished for liberty, you can 

then keep them down with a smile, and makes 

your heart capable for once to love in truth. Oh, 

is that not lovely ? Yes ; which love is higher 

than all earthly ties, and even family ties, which 

keeps you in the Saviour's hands. Oh, if that 

love would only rule supreme on this earth it 

would cure all spiritual unhappiness. 

Well did the Saviour say, "Come unto me all ye 

that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you 

rest." Spiritual rest such as the world has never had, 

never being satisfied. When you have that law 

developed within you, you comply to all these 

enumerations, and the pure incense of holy love 

will flow freely from your heart to the throne of 
God, causing you to place your sole reliance and 



139 



dependance on God, then reverencing His glory, 
power, holiness and justice. If your nature does 
not comply to those enumerations, you are out of the 
law, and all you can do in your own strength or 
effort, will not place you into it — you must be 
placed into it through regeneration by faith ; and 
why must it be as this and no other way possible? 
Because God does not govern by force or enacted 
law, but by laws of nature, mutual love, making 
each a government within themselves in unison 
with His will. Is that not in keeping with nature 
and the wisdom of God ? As God govorns in the 
material or natural world by certain laws of nature, 
He also governs the spiritual world by spiritual 
laws of nature, which causes harmony to exist in 
the spiritual world of His Kingdom as well as 
the natural world. Oh, holy love, where is thy 
equal ! — that which lifts the human soul out of 
confusion and death into harmony, holiness, immor- 
tality, unto eternal life ; causing the soul to realize 
within its nature and feeling that it must have a 
father, a protector, who will administer to its 
spiritual wants and happiness, causing the soul to 
realize within its nature that it cannot do without 



140 



a controlling head, government or king, arid to 
know that God is to be that king. Oh, that holy, 
righteous and just king ! If I have acknowledged 
God within my nature, through holy love to be my 
king, I have then acknowledged Him indeed, be- 
cause my nature has acknowledged. I can then 
be governed and controlled without trouble, the 
same as the planets are governed by certain laws 
of nature, and in the manner I am governed giv- 
ing me the greatest happiness, because to taste of 
the law itself which I am governed by, is bliss. 
As I said before, God's Kingdom of Heaven is 
not governed by force or enacted laws, but by laws 
of nature — by mutual love — making each a gov- 
ernment within themselves. If I would not have 
recognized God as my king within my nature while 
living in this life, I would then be undone by 
nature, because here is where the recognition must 
take place within our nature. As the tree falls, so 
it shall lie ; as your nature is in this life, so is it 
in the future. So, then, if yet in your natural 
condition, you have not recognized God within 
your nature as your king ; so, then, you cannot be 
governed by His fixed law of perfection existing 



141 



in Heaven, if admitted, and could exist in it 
it would create confusion in His kingdom, being a 
soul out of the law. 

There are certain laws which keep in balance 
and harmony every thing pertaining to the mate- 
rial or natural world. There is also a spiritual 
law, pertaining to the spiritual world, which is 
holy love, and keeps in balance and harmony all 
concerned in that world, and whenever you are 
placed within that law you are then placed into 
God's government of harmony, truth, perfection, 
righteousness and holiness ; and if you are not 
placed into that law, you are out in confusion. In 
the material or natural world these laws are uni- 
versal — reaching everything existing in it — because 
there exists no will therein to resist them, and those 
that have always resisted that love in this life, 
cannot be an heir to the kingdom where it exists 
universal, but an heir to the kingdom where it can 
never reach, let that kingdom be what it may ; 
they have taken a step they can never retrace — 
death within the flesh. Oh, this holy love, where 
is thy equal ! See what King Solomon compares 
it to in his song^ He was a man that enjoyed the 



142 



greatest pleasure and natural gifts of this world, 
and still they were as nothing in his sight when 
he once drank out of that cup of inexhaustible 
love ; and before he drank out of that cup those 
natural things led him astray. 

Oh, is it possible? Have I traveled success- 
fully over this pathway of regeneration, beset on 
all sides by temptations to lead me therefrom ? 
Have I arrived safe on solid ground ? Oh, how 
have I accomplished it? By going at it in ear- 
nest, right in the midst of worldly pleasures. I 
placed my foot down and kept it there by invok- 
ing the assistance of Almighty God, which we 
must do if we wish to start with the true spirit, 
which will guide us safely by all breakers, into the 
calm harbor of safety, never again to depart there- 
from. It will not do to remain on the fence, to go 
from one pasture to the other as circumstances suit 
you. If you wish to be strengthened in your faith, 
or receive the true spiritual nourishment unto eter- 
nal life, you must pasture wholly in the pasture of 
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If you will 
then reflect and meditate over the holy word, you 
will be enlightened through the Holy Spirit, be- 



143 



cause you are then not acting deceitful to God, 
being in earnest. I can say you must not indulge 
in any sin or evil, but I will not undertake to tell 
the world what indulgence is a sin or evil, and 
what indulgence is not a sin or evil, because that 
is a duty belonging entirely to the Holy Spirit, 
which it can and does well perform ; but one thing 
I can tell you, to give up all that you think is a 
sin according to the commandments, and earnestly 
seek for the way, and things that you cannot see 
sua in now, you will see then according as you are 
brought out of your carnal prison house, and some 
things that you would think are sinful now, would 
not be so sinful in your sight then. 

God only expects you to do your best, and when 
you do that you will receive grace to do more. 
But this grace you will not receive until you have 
done your very best you can do in your condition. 
Oh, delay it no longer, but commence to seek for 
the salvation of your souls in the manner our 
Heavenly Father has pointed out to us in His 
Holy word. Commence to lay up treasures in 
Heaven, where moth does not enter, nor rust cor- 
rupt, but shineth bright forever through all eternity. 



144 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

! 

I 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

I will explain three different natures of grace, 
which God has extended to man, which is : Grace 
belonging to creation, unmerited grace, and merited 
grace. Grace belonging to the nature of creation 
are the different senses and talents we possess and 
enjoy, and all that we have naturally which con- 
tributes to our happiness, having and retaining all 
at the pleasure, will or grace of God. The un- 
merited grace is that which God has extended to 
man in the atoning blood of His only son ; and 
the merited grace is that which He extends to all 
true Christians and all those that are earnestly 
striving to become so ; that grace exists within the 
law, and is received when merited, and is the grace 
which it is impossible to fall from, and when once 
received we advance towards perfection ; that grace 



145 

increases until we come there, or have so much that 
all the powers of hell cannot prevail against us or 
pluck us out of His hands, having the grace the 
apostles had to withstand the storm. Jesus having 
taken up his abode with us, or the mind and law 
then existing within us as it existed in Christ 
Jesus, whoever says they fell from grace, or can 
fall from it in this nature, err, and whoever has, 
by repentance and earnestly seeking, received this 
merited grace, tasted of it, been converted by 
it, and says a person can fall from it errs ? But 
then, it is only an error of the mind, and not 
an error of the heart, which will not condemn 
him; but if any man says he fell from it, he 
was never in it, and is condemned. And if one 
who has never tasted or been converted by this 
grace, and says that man can fall from it, errs both 
in heart and mind, and is condemned until he 
receives it. When you once possess this merited 
grace, though in its infancy, you may come some- 
times nearly yielding, but you will not yield, God's 
grace being sufficient to keep you, because you 
have merited it to that present moment ; receiving 
sufficient to keep you, God not allowing you to be 



146 



tempted above that you can bear ; and after temp- 
tation is over stronger than before ; a little stronger 
towards walking alone ; a little further advanced 
towards that everlasting kingdom — growing up in 
grace like a tender plant; given to Jesus by the 
Father, and by no earthly power or form ; there- 
fore no one will pluck you out of His hands. 
You have been given indeed- — given through na- 
ture, by God the Father. Is the law not higher 
than all forms — high as the heavens; or what 
nature binds, is it not bound ? If given by earthly 
form alone, you are not given in truth, by not 
being given through nature, and I was going to say 
you can be plucked out of His hands ; but you 
were never in His hands. 

As I spoke of merited grace, some might say 
that man has no merit in him ; but he has. If 
man earnestly repents and seeks salvation, and 
earnestly strives to the best of his ability to fulfill 
the requirements laid down in the Scriptures, that 
is all God asks or expects of him ; and when he 
has done this he merits something, which is the 
love or grace of God, for having obeyed His com- 
mands as far as he knew how, or as far as he could 



147 



in the condition sin placed him in ; God then 
draws nigh unto him through His laws of nature, 
giving him His grace, or love, through the law. 
As soon as we pass into that order of grace, through 
merit, we have then already passed through a pro- 
cess of nature, by the law, and will be held there, 
ascending towards perfection, continually passing 
through a process of nature which makes God all- 
powerful, not falling, because God's grace is not 
sufficient, but because we have not complied with 
His rules or principles established to receive it. 
When we once receive that merited grace or love, 
through the law, which grace and love is the power 
correcting us spiritually — correcting and purifying 
all our passions — placing us into the hands of the 
Saviour — we cannot fall. When you have your 
passions once corrected through nature, or its laws, 
it will be impossible for you to fall back into your 
former condition. You may sometimes grow a 
little cold in the service of God, but it will not 
last ; that motive power of holy love will return, 
sweeping through your heart, causing you to drink 
indescribable bliss. Oh, is that bliss not better 
and higher than all the world can offer or give ! 



148 



The way that some fall, or think they have fell 
from grace — is in this wise : They have repented — 
what they call repenting — having discontinued 
some of the most unlawful habits and indulgences — 
have even received great light concerning their 
sinful condition, but have not fully repented — 
having retained some sin which was the most 
precious in their sight, as did King Saul, being led 
by conscience to reject some of the greater evils or 
habits — only partly obeying God's commands or 
requirements — only being in the order of con- 
science, and not in the order of grace, because not 
yet merited, that conscience often yields, causing 
them again to indulge, little by little, in what they 
discontinued, until they are again back in the old 
rut they started from ; so it is conscience which 
yields, and they fall, not from grace, but from the 
order of conscience, not being in grace, because not 
having yet merited it ; hence the error in thinking 
they have fell from grace. 

A penitent sinner passes from the order of con- 
science into the order of grace ; in the first degree, 
conscience rejects and sometimes yields ; in the 
next degree or order, grace rejects, which never 



149 



yields, and which is only tasted and known by 
those who are in it. Then, as I said before, in 
your first order, conscience is your rejecter — to 
reject evil — which often yields and is not yet re- 
fined to its proper tenderness in your second de- 
gree ; being in grace, through merit, grace becomes 
your rejecter to reject evil, which never yields, 
you having risen above conscience; therefore, 
being in the order of justification — being com- 
pletely justified by your conscience — the law 
through grace, which also causes you to know of 
your change and its continued growth, by it being 
manifested to you within your nature. Suppose 
you have a lot of temptations before you, which is 
your strongest shield to protect you against them — 
your conscience, or grace causing you to hate them ? 
Your conscience may yield, as conscience often 
does, and did in the garden of Eden ; but that 
spirit of hatred of evil will never yield, which 
spirit emanates from that merited grace ; then 
growing on in that merited grace, until you have 
so much faith and grace, or love, that all the re- 
verses in this life cannot move you or your faith. 
Even in distress you would not accept worldly 



150 



inducements, which would compromise your faith, 
or the cause of Christ, and retard the growth of 
His kingdom on earth. 

I will here relate an incident in my experience, 

which occurred while I was passing through 

this life of regeneration. I was always a respecter 

of truth, and when I was receiving this great 

light I felt so happy that I could not help but 

tell others of its truth and virtues; and they 

began to taunt me, saying that I was not sincere, 

which annoyed me very much, and I felt like 

resenting it, and came very near doing so ; and the 

only thing that prevented me from it was that I 

knew I would compromise what I was professing; 

but I still felt dissatisfied, and then that night 

I earnestly prayed to God to give me power to 

overcome my enemies without compromising the 

truth or that which I professed. The next day 

when they plagued me, I had so much grace that 

I just smiled at them, and the more they plagued 

me the more I pitied them for being so much in 

darkness ; my enemies were soon discomfited 

without my compromising Christ's Kingdom — 

they discontinuing their tauntings. That is grace 



151 



such as you cannot fall from, which assists you to 
look at the world in its true light, and causes you 
to know in your heart and mind that if you for- 
sake Jesus you would forsake your all — eternal 
life or an eternal world of bliss and perfection ? 
for perishable things — a world of time and imper- 
fection. 

What order was Peter in when he yielded, deny- 
ing the Saviour? Why, in the order of con- 
science; he loved the Saviour, as often men 
love each other in their natural condition. We 
must not only love the Saviour as a person, but we 
must love that which he represents — truth, right- 
eousness and holiness ; and not love it only when 
it does not conflict with our worldly interests, but 
love it more than self interest. The Saviour did 
not come into the world to be expressly loved as a 
person, but he came into the world for us to love 
that which he brought with him, within his heart 
and nature, which is truth, righteousness and holi- 
ness ; which three things comprise more than a 
man in his natural condition can comprehend. 
When Peter denied the Saviour he was then yet in 
the flesh — in the order of conscience — not yet re- 



152 



born; but he afterwards earnestly repented and 
brought forth fruit worthy of repentance, and 
entered the order of merited or holy grace, as did 
all the apostles after the resurrection of the Saviour, 
and also all that have been or are true Christians. 
Oh, what a lesson the yielding of Peter teaches 
man ! showing the weakness of the flesh, or when 
yet in the order of conscience, and how strong 
when in grace through merit, as he afterwards 
proved himself to be. It is only then when you 
can account for occurrences in the spiritual world, 
which before were mysteries to you — looking then 
not through the flesh at things in the spiritual 
world, but through the law. 

As I have brought the apostles in this explana- 
tion, some might think it a presumption on my 
part that I was placing myself on an equality 
with them, they having been taught by the Saviour 
in person; but I am just placing myself where 
God's laws, through nature, have placed me, by 
doing my part towards the fulfilling of those 
laws, which He taught me how to do in the Holy 
Scriptures, which instruction I accepted in faith, 
and was taught from thence by the Holy Spirit, 



153 



advancing onward and onward in His grace, con- 
tinually seeking for a closer walk with God. 
Therein shows the great virtue existing in the 
Gospel of Jesus Christ — it being capable of per- 
forming now what it performed nearly nine- 
teen hundred years ago ; it is time to put to one 
side this elevating of holiness alone in the imagin- 
ation, and not in the essential. Is the Saviour's 
spirit not more capable of teaching man the way 
than when in the flesh, and did He not say, "How- 
beit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will 
guide you into all truth." And has that not been 

accomplished according to His words ? And were 
not the apostles more perfect after the crucifixion 

than before, made so through the influence of the 

Holy Spirit ? And that same power being able to 

perform now, what it performed nearly nineteen 

hundred years ago, should that not increase 

its virtue in our sight if we looked at it in the 

true light ? A man does not arrive at a point in 

this life but what he can become more and more 

4 

perfect in Christ Jesus. That is what I am con- 
tinually striving, by the grace of God, to become. 
We grow on in this grace until we draw our last 



154 



breath ; and when a man has obtained this grace, 
it will be impossible for him to fall back into the 
world, because he has tasted of that which is 
sweeter than all the world — yea, than life ! 

When a person feels convicted by his conscience, 
and then comes to the Lord in that convicted state 
repenting and asking pardon, he will receive par- 
don for his past sins, and the fact is manifested to 
him in his nature; he feels happy because his sins 
are forgiven him, which plainly reveals the har- 
mony in the spiritual world ; but when he has 
done that he has not in the least been corrected in 
spirit ; he has earnestly acted, and God has an- 
swered that action so far as the penitent sinner has 
acted, which action only called for the forgiveness 
of past sins ; so, then, the penitent sinner is not 
yet in grace, he is only on probation ; he must 
again act — bring to God fruit worthy of that re- 
pentance, which if he does with as much sincerity 
as he repented, God again answers that action by 
grace, or holy love ; then by that action he has 
placed himself into grace, by complying to that 
which God has allotted to him to do under His 
law ; then he is entirely in the hands of God. So 



155 



the moment he receives that grace or love he is led 
to will and to do by it ; the fact of him receiving 
that grace or love causes him to bring forth more 
fruit, and the fact of him bringing forth more 
fruit causes him to receive more grace or love ; so 
he grows on in grace, like a tender plant, until he 
is completely regenerated or reborn ; he is nursed 
by God in that grace like a child, not allowing him 
to be tempted in that infant grace above that he 
can bear ; then he grows on in that until he comes 
to manhood in that grace or love, then he is com- 
pletely regenerated — dead to the world and alive 
to God — knowing it manifested to him within his 
nature, making it to him a reality the same as any 
other transaction that takes place in the material 
or natural world, and any one that cannot say with 
a clear conscience that they have experienced this 
religion as a reality within their nature, are out of 
Christ — being a dead branch. 

When man's past sins are forgiven, through 
repentance, and he then wants to bring to God 
fruits — meet for repentance — grudgingly, without 
sincerity, his heart still clinging to them, they will 
not be accepted, no matter what sacrifices he makes 



156 



that can be seen by the world. Everything that 
is done by God is done by facts, realities, sincerity, 
truths or laws; Pie uses no deception, and if you 
want to be accepted you must not use any. So, 
then, many pass into the first stage of repentance, 
having their past sins forgiven, but never enter 
into grace, and often fall back into the w r orld where 
they started from. Then it is sometimes called 
falling from grace ; and they not having been in 
grace, so that great truth which existed in Christ 
Jesus must suffer in the sight of the world by 
the error. So, then, "Many are called, but few are 
chosen." 

What is the reason that some members of the 
church that have been converted have remained 
firm in their faith from their youth to their old 
age ? Because when they repented and had their 
past sins forgiven, they brought forth satisfactory 
fruit to that repentance, then entered into, that 
holy grace or love, then having been able to with- 
stand all reverses and temptations in life, having 
that holy grace and love of Jesus to assist them to 
bear up under that cross. Then others have re- 
pented, had their past sins forgiven to the moment 



157 



of repentance, being acquainted of the fact by the 
joy and happiness it produced to them, and again 
fell back into the world where they started from ; 
after repentance and forgiveness they did not bring 
forth satisfactory fruit to that repentance, so they 
never entered the order or nature of holy grace. 
Then some join and attend church regularly 
through their whole life ; depending on form and 
their own dictation of proper life for salvation, 
and never enter grace. Then others have acted 
the hypocrite from the start, through worldly mo- 
tives, and Satan will certainly not receive grace. 
So truth and the church suffers greatly from this 
source. When we see ourselves convicted in the 
Gospel of Jesus Christ, our will is left free to act, 
to repent or not to repent. If we repent we will 
have our sins forgiven — all sins we have committed 
to that moment. We have asked pardon and God 
has granted it, but we are then not corrected in 
spirit; we have acted and God has satisfied that 
action so far as we have acted, which only reached 
so far as the sins we had committed ; so, then, we 
must again make another action towards holiness 
before God acts, which is for us to bring satisfae- 



158 



toiy fruit to that repentance. So, then, if we sin- 
cerely bring forth fruit to that repentance, we 
have again acted, so God again acts to satisfy that 
action, we then receiving His grace or holy love in 
our heart, purifying us ; then we will bring forth 
more fruit — the fruit of love. As the Saviour 
says, iC I am the vine, and ye are the branches." 
That is when our past sins are forgiven, as were 
the apostles, then whoever brings forth satisfactory 
fruit to that repentance, God purgeth, causing 
them to bring forth more fruit. Then when you 
have done this, you have arrived at a state where 
you will not stand still, your fruits being answered 
by love, which very love compels you to bring 
forth more fruit — the fruit of love. So, then, 
each action is continually answered ; so it goes on 
until you are completely changed in heart and 
nature ; but when you bring forth your fruits — 
meet for repentance — to God as a sacrifice, being 
the first fruit after repentance, you must not do it 
grudgingly, but with an earnestness and sincerity 
of heart, or else they will not be accepted. No 
matter what you discontinue, if done without a 
sincerity of heart, you will not receive that merited 



159 



or holy grace; as sincere as you were in your 
repentance, must you also now be with your fruits, 
meet for repentance, as a sacrifice, which when you 
have brought forth you will receive something 
through nature which is superior to all the world, 
which controls you to will and to do, and giving 
you pleasure to comply. The fact of the matter of 
your bringing forth that first fruit — meet for re- 
pentance — earnestly and sincerely, retaining nothing 
to yourself, which you knew you should sacrifice, 
causes you to receive God's love, or grace, in your 
heart, through His law. Though in its infancy, 
the fact of your receiving it causes you to bring 
forth more fruit, which fruit then causes you to 
receive more love ; so it continues, one acting on 
the other, until reborn. At the same time, while 
this new birth is taking* place, all the temptations 
existing around you will not overcome you. When 
you are yet weak in that grace, God places a bar- 
rier between you and the temptation when you are 
about to yield. Yes, He protects you, like a 
father does a child. When you act in the spirit of 
a child towards God, which it behooves you to do, 
then you will be nursed in that grace until you 



i60 



grow sufficiently strong to resist all temptations, no 
matter how accidental or severe they drop across 
your path, and making it impossible for you ever 
again to fall back into the world, because nature 
having bound, and what nature has bound no one 
can loosen, but God who has bound it, and He will 
not cast you off; you will then not be continually 
sinning and repenting, If you are a true Chris- 
tian you must feel as though yon could die any 
moment without fearing to meet your God, or 
feeling as though you could cast yourself with 
full confidence and a loving heart into the arms of 
Jesus. If a man has been connected with a church 
any length of time, and has not that justification 
within his heart or nature, there has been some- 
thing wrong all the while ; he has not been growing 
in grace, because he was never in it to grow. In- 
deed the road that leads to life is narrow ; the 
cross will have to be borne. 

So, then, if a man repents, no matter where, if 
at the mourners bench or any other place, he will 
have his sins forgiven which he has committed to 
that present moment, and only have them forgiven 
on conditions — providing he brings a satisfactory 



161 



sacrifice to that repentance, which if he does not 
they will all fall back to him again. So, then, 
when the penitent sinner has been accepted on 
those conditions, he feels happy, his acceptance 
being manifested to him within his nature; but he 
is then not yet reborn. That grace I referred to 
causes him to pass through this new birth, and 
after having passed through this new birth, he is 
spiritually and completely reborn, where all the 
powers of hell cannot prevail against him ; he would 
allow his life through love to be sacrificed before 
recanting that truth 3 because that truth is love j 
and when a man is once spiritually reborn he will 
not have to be reborn again, and when you have 
arrived at this degree of perfection, you will feel 
more humble in spirit than ever before, but greatly 
exalted in your moral character. If a man in the 
church is continually sinning and repenting, there 
is something wrong ; he is not in that holy grace • 
he is kept busy sinning and repenting, and has no 
time to grow in grace ; he is trying to serve God 
and the world at one and the same time; he 
neither enjoys the pleasures of the world nor the 
grace and peace of God, and must be in a very 



162 



unhappy condition. When we once receive this 
grace we are recognized by God through His laws ; 
then as we grow on in that grace we become dead 
to the world and alive to God ; then we have 
tasted His holy love, and we cannot help but strive 
to walk closer and closer with God. Oh, how 
lovely is that Spirit of God ! 

When we are once recognized through the new 
birth by God's laws, as an adopted son, we cannot 
fall from that, go back into the world, repent again, 
and become a son again. God only requires to do 
His work once — never does it over. Very often 
passages of Scripture are misconstrued ; the apos- 
tles were told to forgive man seventy times seven 
if he sind against them ; so will we be forgiven 
seventy times seven by God if we repent when we 
sin against him ; but that has reference when we 
are not yet in that grace, but in the flesh — we can 
then be continually sinning and repenting. So it 
is with all the passages of Scripture the Saviour 
made use of; if they are properly construed they 
will all agree with the real or spiritual laws of 
God, composed of nature. 

There are certain points herein repeated, which 



163 



is done for the purpose of bringing into a greater 
light, and in a more comprehensive manner, those 
great truths concerned in this salvation. When a 
man repents of his sins, and* seeks salvation, he is 
received so far as he has gone; his sins are for- 
given on conditions which gives him that joy, being 
aware of the fact which is often experienced and 
seen at the mourners' bench, which plainly reveals 
the spiritual harmony existing in the spiritual 
world, but he has not yet received that grace which 
worketh faith by love, which is a holy element, 
which purifies man in spirit. So, then, when man 
has repented his sins are forgiven, on conditions, to 
that moment, which he has ever committed ; or he 
is then accepted as far as he has gone ; he is then 
only on probation. He must then discontinue all 
indulgences and habits contracted w r hich defiles 
the temple of the Lord or compromises His king- 
dom ; and if he is conducting any business com- 
promising Christ's Kingdom, he must discontinue 
it. Then there are other sacrifices that must be 
made, which are only known to God and the minds 
and hearts of the possessors ; all have their beset- 
ting sin, which must be sacrificed. If all this is 



164 



done by the penitent sinner, and earnestly seeks to 
walk closer to God, he receives grace, which work- 
eth faith by love, then going through a process of 
being reborn, or purified in spirit, having all pas- 
sions corrected and purified, or he is then passing 
through a process of spiritual laws in nature, or 
through a process of nature. 

The external and internal kingdom must go 
hand in hand, or how can a person expect to be 
purified spiritually when he does not correct him- 
self naturally, or does the natural part allotted to 
him to do, as God has taught him. Everything 
that is done in the direction of holiness must be 
done earnestly, with a sincerity of heart, or with 
pure motives, which is then done in harmony with 
nature, and will create harmony in return. In 
one of the passages of Scripture the Saviour speaks 
thus : " Go, and sin no more ; " which is the same 
answer a mourner receives spiritually when he 
sincerely repents of his sins, he being received and 
accepted as far as he has gone ; if he will not then 
bring forth satisfactory fruit as a sacrifice to that 
repentance, he will either remain in a condition 
continually sinning and repenting, or eventually 



165 



fall back into the world, where he started from ; 
so the last state of that man is worse than the first. 
No matter how often he has called on the Lord 
daring this time. Oh, how happy I am that there 
is a place of truth and love, where holiness cannot 
be profaned or robbed of its glory. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZIOX. 

Man is informed if he has faith in the Saviour 
that his reward will be eternal life in Heaven ; but 
it seems difficult for man, in his natural condition, 
to have that faith which will enable him to take 
the first step towards this salvation; but the in- 
fluence of a cause (composed of reason and truth) 
or his natural desire for the same, should act as an 
incentive for him to take that step ; then the Holy 



106 



Spirit will teach further* Where can man receive 
the benefit of that cause ? Why, from Jesus and 
his apostles. As far as a carnal mind is, by nature, 
from God, is it also from comprehending the great 
truths existing in the Scriptures ; not because it is 
ignorant, but because it is unnatural to it. Those 
truths in the Holy Scriptures are inexhaustible ; 
they are infinite ; requiring the combination of the 
mind, heart, and the light of the Holy Spirit to 
lead you into them. Oh, will you receive me as 
a witness ? I once was blind, spiritually blind, 
but now I see. Any amount of reason, founded on 
truth or nature, which is unquestionable truth, can 
be given to prove the truthfulness of the Christian 
religion, but grace or holy love cannot be reasoned 
into the heart, because the Holy Spirit can only 
supply that element to each individual according 
to that individual's faith. Every one will have 
administered to them for conviction and transfor- 
mation, according to their needs. What would be 
meat to a grown person might be poison to an infant. 
Every one will receive the spiritual diet and nour- 
ishment to suit their spiritual condition, which the 
Holy Spirit only can supply. 



167 



Now let us see if we can find that cause I re- 
ferred to. There are three general natures con- 
cerned in the creation or formation of the contents 
of this world — which is the material, physical 
and spiritual. 

All that possesses life and not feeling is founded 
on material nature, such as trees and all vege- 
tation. 

All that is possessed of feeling and not reason 
is founded on physical nature, such as animals 
without reason, insects, etc 

All that is possessed of feeling and reason is 
founded on physical and spiritual nature — which 
is man ; and nature cannot be denied, because it is 
truth. 

The Scriptures are also founded on spiritual 
nature, therefore its truth can no more be denied 
than any visible nature which has life existing 
in it. 

The Scriptures have not visible life existing in 
them, because they are not the spiritual nature, 
but they are the effects of the spiritual nature. 
Material nature cannot be physical nature ; neither 
can the person that is a Christian in spirit and in 



168 



truth be untruth, or be carnal and holy in nature 
at one and the same time ; or carnal nature cannot 
be holy nature. Our Lord and Saviour possessed 
a nature of truth, or a holy nature, because his 
teachings, actions, and moral deeds prove it ; so he 
could not have practiced deception, because his 
nature would not have permitted him to do so, 
because it would require a carnal nature to do it. 
He was not untruth, but truth ; because there was 
nothing false about him. When he smiled on 
man it was not a false smile, which is often given 
through worldly motives ; nor was it a smile of 
derision ; nor was it in the nature of Judas Iscar- 
iot's kiss, but a divine smile — a smile of truth 
coming from the fountain of truth — holiness, If 
our Lord and Saviour's nature would not permit 
him to render a false smile, how much less would 
it permit him to use deception ; so he must have 
been the approved son of God, or else he would 
not have so declared, because his nature being 
truth (holy) would not have permitted him to do 
so unless it was truth. 

Before the crucifixion and resurrection, Judas 
Iscariot betrayed the Saviour, being naturally fit 



169 



for the place he filled ; and there are spiritually, in 
a modified form, plenty of Judas Iscariots in the 
world at the present time. Human nature, in its 
natural and confused condition, was very well 
represented among the Saviour's chosen twelve; 
but what a remarkable harmony there existed in 
their natures after the resurrection. Now, I ask 
any fair-minded man if deception could have 
brought that change about within their nature ? 
No; impossible; nothing but truth could have 
done it. Faith is the only thing that changes 
nature, and how could they have had faith if they 
had practiced deception ; which they would have 
done if the Saviour had not risen from the dead. 
No ; they did not then dispute who would be great- 
est in the Kingdom of Heaven. When the 
Saviour called his apostles, and before his crucifix- 
ion and resurrection, they were in their natural 
condition, or possessed carnal desires — for the his- 
tory of their actions and questions proves it, which 
history is found in the first four books of the New 
Testament, containing the records of natural events 
as they occurred. Yes, the apostles being tfcen 
yet spiritually in the flesh, that is to say, not being 



170 



completely reborn — not yet having sufficient faith. 
But after his resurrection they came into possession 
of holy natures, because their actions, teachings, 
and the very nature of their writings, prove it ; 
they then being completely reborn — brought out of 
the flesh through faith — who will say it was decep- 
tion that wrought that change within the apostles' 
nature ? Who will or can deny nature ? 

Peter denied our Lord and Saviour several 
times in succession, when he was brought before 
the high priest Caiaphas to be tried — even in the 
face of all the miracles the Saviour had performed. 
Oh, weak flesh — he being yet spiritually in the 
flesh ; so, then, when our Lord and Saviour saw 
fit to place himself into the power of man, for 
Peter's and the world's sake, Peter did not under- 
stand it ; the same as weak Christians at present 
may think they are strong, but not strong when 
brought to the test — not yet in grace, but in the 
order of conscience, or spiritually in the flesh. 
When Peter saw the Saviour in the power of man, 
he doubted in his faith, through fear of the power 
of man, altogether forgetting the power of God. 
And what a consternation the crucifixion caused 



171 



among the apostles; but after His resurrection 
what harmony and joy prevailed among them ! 
not one of His chosen disciples then denied Him, 
but they sacrificed all worldly interests, preached 
and spread the gospel truth; much was shown 
them, so much was required of them before receiv- 
ing that holy grace ; they then, withstanding all 
kinds of hardships and persecutions without 
yielding, even unto death. When one of His 
chosen twelve fell on the w^ayside, and another 
denied Him during His natural presence, not 
being yet persecuted to a great extent, what 
could have given them that firmness and tenacity 
which prevented even one from denying Him and 
falling, when all the engines of hell were ar- 
rayed against them, and He being absent from them. 
It mnst have been truth and grace, and not decep- 
tion, — which was seeing with their own eyes, Jesus 
our Saviour, after his resurrection, showing them 
for a certainty that man and the evil spirit had 
only power to kill the flesh and not the soul. 
Henca, being firm through faith and grace, in the 
Saviour's hands, where no man could pluck them 
out. How mild, intelligently, easy, earnestly and 



172 



firmly, the apostles met their foes, before and 
away from the authorities. Is that natural to 
general nature and the nature of deception, to do 
so ? No ; nothing but truth at the bottom could 
back that up. Human nature was then, as it is 
to-day, and always has been. 

Some may say they were reformers, working in 
the interest of worldly reform of their own devis- 
ing, or gotten up by the power of man — having 
seen reformers very firm ; but what kind of a 
spirit prompted their firmness? These worldly 
reformers are sometimes found with deadly w T eapons 
in their hands, and self-interest in their spirit, and 
among men that are naturally good, having a sense 
of justice and to the rights of others — very often 
yielding in their attempts. Not one of His chosen 
yielded after His resurrection, or showed any 
self-interest. The weapon in their hands and 
spirit was the gospel of Jesus Christ, which 
will conquer, and continue to conquer, because 
it is truth and altogether lovely. The apostles 
nature, before and 'after the resurrection also proves 
it not to have been a reform of their devising, or 
gotten up by the power of man. 



173 



If the Gospel of the New Testament and the 
founding of the Christian church and religion was 
the work of an earthly power, it certainly shows 
more wisdom (in its founders) in the interest of 
civilization, the world's good, and the good of hu- 
manity, than all of the world's wisest men have 
heretofore been able to accomplish for that purpose. 
But who were the founders of that church? 
Mostly what the world calls unlearned men. 
When the Saviour went up into the temple and 
taught, the Jews marveled, saying, " how knoweth 
this man letters, having never learned ? " and any 
earthly scheme or reform that is devised and com- 
menced, requiring much wisdom, is generally begun 
or started by the learned, or among the leading 
men of the country, and not by the humble, which 
plainly reveals the Divine hand of assistance in 
establishing that Christian church, or the Christian 
religion. It is as plain as it can be that this re- 
ligion was not founded by the power of man, as a 
reform for the morals of the world, for it is a work 
which is far beyond the power of man to have 
accomplished, because it could not have been com- 
prehended by the human mind in its natural con- 



174 



dition. It was beyond its power of reasoning. It 
could not foresee its effects and developments ; they 
are unnatural to the human mind and heart in their 
natural condition. It had to be a revelation. 
Read the first chapter according to the Gospel of 
St. John j reflect over it and see if the nature of 
the language used is natural to the spirit of reform. 
It is not ; but it, is natural to revelation. I will 
just quote one verse of it, which reads thus: 
6C And the light shineth in darkness and the 
darkness comprehended it not." Just look how 
unnatural that language is to the spirit of reform 
and how natural to revelation. Oh, this Christian 
church and religion, or gospel, is a monument of 
nature, formed and erected by God, the same as 
any visible nature is formed or created by God. 

Then look at the firmness displayed by the 
apostles, and what they sacrificed ; but then some 
may say that a heathen has been known to sacri- 
fice much, and even his life, for the sake of his 
religion. Firmness results from many different 
causes : Pride causes firmness ; self-interest in sup- 
porting wrong, even when knowing better, causes 
firmness; honor causes firmness; repeated imposi- 
tion by one party on another, striking at their rights, 



175 



causes firmness on the part of the wronged party, 
when once aroused and wishing to vindicate their 
rights ; ignorant superstition causes firmness, and 
one of the greatest firmness, which is a nature of 
firmness, such as the heathen possesses in his re- 
ligion, and you may know what kind of spirit backs v 
up that firmness, or the nature of the soul hidden 
behind it. Then there is a firmness caused by 
holy love, which was the spiritual element and 
cause that backed up the apostles' firmness ; which 
love can only be procured from the spirit of truth, 
and not from deception. Then you can also know 
the nature of the spirit in that person, causing 
that firmness which is not a spirit such as lies 
behind that ignorant superstition, but a spirit such 
as is altogether lovely. Yes, nothing but truth 
and the assistance of Almighty God could mould 
such a spirit or soul into being. 

The Jewish church, being the husbanders of the 
prophecies existing in the old dispensation concern- 
ing our Lord and Saviour, and him not coming out 
from that church, makes them impartial and ever- 
lasting witnesses of that truth. The Saviour had 
no connection with a scheme gotten up by man, 



176 



but he stood alone as the shining light direct from 
the fountain of holiness and truth, no one but him- 
self knowing at the time what was going to be 
his lot and end, the apostles all the while question- 
ing him like children would a father, and him 
being to them all the while as a loving father. 
Where is there such a scene and parallel as that to 
be pictured on earth in the course cf human events ? 
T es, the Saviour stood alone as the shining light, 
and the Jewish Church being the bitter enemies of 
that light and truth he was establishing, and still 
at the same time assisting in fulfilling the prophe- 
cies concerning him and that truth, not knowing it 
at the time, only looking to present effects, which 
is natural to the carnally natured and worldly 
minded, and is done to-day ; human nature is 
always the same. So, then, the Jewish Church, 
the bitter enemies of that truth and light, became 
witnesses against themselves and witnesses in favor 
of the Saviour and the Christian church, substan- 
tiating her truthfulness through nature, which 
proves the prophecies concerning our Saviour to be 
genuine, and the church to be genuine. 

Oh, nature, thou everlasting witness, high as the 



177 



Heavens ! Oh, salvation, how deep have you been 
planned ! But it is a passing through, a regular 
process and course of nature from beginning to 
end ; bringing its witnesses and judgments with it 
as it progressed. 

Did you ever reflect over the actions and deeds 
of the Apostle Paul, and compare it with the gen- 
eral spiritual nature existing in man, or all carnal 
nature? All men that have not been reborn by 
the spirit, or regenerated, are possessed of a carnal 
nature, no matter who they are, and a person can- 
not be dispossessed of his carnal nature by any 
other method but true saving faith, which worketh 
by love. St. Paul asserts that the Saviour appeared 
to him while on his way to Damascus, before the 
asserted appearance of the Saviour to St. Paul 
while on his way to Damascus. Paul was possessed 
of a carnal nature and mind, because his persecu- 
tion of the church proves it, and that was the 
business he was after at the time that related in- 
, stance occurred. And the writings of St. Paul, or 
his epistles to the different churches, are foreign, 
unknown or unnatural to a carnal nature and mind. 
I do not mean the wisdom contained in those writ- 



178 



ings, but the nature of them. So St. Paul must have 
been dispossessed of his carnal nature and mind, 
before he wrote those writings, and he could only 
be dispossessed of his carnal nature and' mind 
through the true saving faith, and he could not 
have had the true saving faith if his assertion con- 
cerning the appearance of the Saviour to him on 
his way to Damascus, was not true ; so that asser- 
tion must be true. 

The Saviour's teachings are unnatural to a carnal 
nature and mind, so we know He was holy and 
divine, and the whole of the New Testament writ- 
ings are unnatural to the carnal nature and mind, 
and the writers of it could only be dispossessed of 
their carnal natures and minds through the true 
saving faith; so their assertion of the Lord's 
resurrection must be true, or else they could not 
have been possessed of the true faith to be dispos- 
sessed of their carnal natures and minds. Nor 
could they have been written by other parties and 
imputed to its asserted authors, because they would 
then not have had the true faith to be dispossessed 
of their carnal natures and minds. So, then, the 
very writings of the New Testament or their na- 



179 



ture, prove the truthfulness of the Saviour's teach- 
ings, doctrines, resurrection, and his appearance to 
St. Paul while on his way to Damascus, or that 
which they assert. 

A man in his natural condition would not leave 
the luxuries of life and the aspirations of the 
worldly gains of life and go traveling through a 
strange country preaching the gospel at the con- 
tinual risk of his life, partly furnishing his ex- 
penses from his own funds, as did St. Paul. No, 
he would not, for it would be unnatural for him 
to do so; it would be foolishness in his sight, 
because it is natural for man to have his heart set 
on and value things of this world above every- 
thing else — such as accumulating wealth and aspir- 
ing to rank and honor. There is no harm in being 
in possession of those things, but do not let them 
take possession of your heart. I am making use 
of this illustration to fully reveal and explain 
human nature as it is to-day, and always has been, 
St. Paul sacrificed all these interests and aspirations 
I referred to, in the circle of life he was in, and 
when he done that he must have known of some- 
thing more valuable in his sight than what he 



180 



abandoned ; so then it became natural for him to 
do as he did, and that which he saw that w r as more 
valuable in his sight, must not have been of this 
world; if it would have been he would have gone 
about it in a very unnatural w T ay for to obtain it, 
and we cannot deny nature. 

How could the Saviour have foreknown and 
foreseen those things which he foretold in his para- 
bles and direct assertions, which have all taken 
place within my moral and spiritual existence, so 
plainly manifested to me in laws and reality, unless 
he was possessed of divine power. Those changes 
that have taken place within my moral and spirit- 
ual existence are as real to me as any laws are real 
in the material or natural world ; could any human 
power have foreknown this, or could it have been 
studied out alone by the power of human mind or 
human agency ? No ; utterly impossible to have 
accomplished it ; it is something that earthly phi- 
losophy under the power of man could never have 
reached. It required divine philosophy to foresee 
this, and to bring this about. Are w T e not in our 
spiritual existence, a spiritual substance composed 
of laws in the hands of Almighty God, destined 



181 



for a greater and nobler existence than ever man 
has obtained in this life — yea, a more noble exist- 
ence than has ever entered into the mind and heart 
of man ? If we only do not hinder those laws in 
the hands of God from performing their possibility, 
through the 'exercise of our free will, in having our 
hearts and minds continually set on perishable 
things of time. Between man and man exists an 
entire individuality concerning every law existing 
within him. It is not so between God and man ; 
we are only individual from God so far as our mind 
and free will is concerned, and this is only our 
individuality at the pleasure or will of God. The 
rest of our spiritual existance is composed of laws 
entirely in the hands of God, the same as any laws 
in material nature,, excepting the interference man 
does in those spiritual laws through his free will. 
So, then, the individuality between man and man, 
and between God and man, is not of the same 
nature as some suppose it to be. All those laws in 
our spiritual existence that are in the hands of 

God, making of us a spiritual substance, are capa- 
ble or are possible to produce for us a spiritual ex- 
istence which is indescribable for its joy, glory and 



182 



magnificence, ff we only not use our mind and will 
of which we have full control to prevent that pos- 
sibility from being brought about, or those laws 
from bringing and moulding that into being or 
existence for us, man at present in his natural con- 
dition stands in an interfering attitude with those 
laws, causing present defects and unhappiness. We 
have received commandments from God what to 
do : not to stand in an interfering attitude between 
Him and those laws, which is for us to repent in 
the spirit of a child, and place our whole trust 
into the hands and power of God, beleiving He 
can perform what he promises. Oh, how can man 
•be so faithless ! Oh, be strong in your faith ; yes, 
come to God, your maker, in the spirit of a child, 
and you will then receive the love of a Heavenly 
Father, will then receive faith that worketh by 
love. Oh, what are yoli without the pure, loving 
spirit of God in your heart, which spirit is as 
pure as pure can be, and altogether lovely ? 
Who can be pure in heart without God's loving 
spirit? Oh, God has not given you that noble 
mind and those affections to be only wasted on 
perishable things of time, but to have them also 



183 



turned towards eternal things — to seek for your 
soul's salvation. After the hours that are spent in 
all vocations or channels of life, for to procure the 
necessaries of life, how many hours are spent use- 
lessly which should be spent in faith in a child- 
like nature and spirit, working out your soul's 
salvation. You need not unless so inclined or 
called by God, give your business hours to this 
duty, only give your spare time — the hours you 
spend unprofitably, and w T hen you do give them, 
who is profited by it but yourself and the world, 
morally working out your own soul's salvation and 
giving to you a spiritual happiness, such as you 
cannot procure any other way in this life, manifest- 
ing to you a nature and character that will astonish 
you for its beauty and eternal rest and joy in the 
world to come. The Holy Spirit is always ready 
and willing to teach any one the way if they will 
only seek for it. Nature was cursed as well as 
man when he fell from his purity ; have you not 
often seen things in material nature miss coming 
to its maturity ? So, don't you miss coming to the 
maturity of spiritual purity out of your fallen con- 
dition, and therefore reap its reward. 



184 



How dead and gloomy looking the face of this 
earth is during the winter season, being barren of 
natural beauty , which is caused by being so far 
away from the sun ; but how beautiful and lovely 
it is in the spring and summer, when again draw- 
ing close to that great luminary. Our spiritual 
and moral existance in our natural condition can 
be compared to the face of this earth — in the win- 
ter season we being barren of spiritual beauty and 
loveliness, until we draw close to God and receive 
of his pure life — giving and invigorating spirit in 
the soul, which lifts the soul into everlasting life, 
glory and loveliness. Oh, then, everything you do 
will be done to the honor of God, love flowing 
freely from your heart to God, which is praying 
without ceasing, and keeps you from falling into all 
possible temptation. 

True Christian, will your nature permit you to 
practice spiritual deception ? No, it will not ; and 
the actions, teachings and deeds of the apostles 
fully reveals their nature as being Christians in 
spirit and in truth ; so, then, by your nature, and 
the actions, deeds and teachings of the apostles, 
revealing their nature, you can test and judge the 



185 



apostles' assertion concerning our Lord and Saviour's 
resurrection, and be convinced by this method 
of test of its truthfulness. Oh, Christian! was it 
deception which you knew was deception, that 
changed your heart or nature, and gave you that 
holy nature or love of God shed abroad in your 
heart? Oh, Holy Apostle! was it deception, 
which you knew was deception, that changed your 
heart and gave you that holy nature, that love of 
God shed abroad in your heart? Oh, will the 
world continue to deny nature when it suits it, as 
well as deny the living God ? and every one de- 
nies Him that has not His love in their heart, no 
matter how often they say, I believe in God. Oh, 
who can escape that will deny this testimony — 
denying nature ? So, then, the apostles have be- 
come, through nature, perpetual witnesses to that 
truth. When witnesses are called before a judge 
to testify, that testimony will soon be forgotten, 
wiped out or destroyed. But the testimony of the 
apostles to that truth will never be forgotten or 
wiped out, because it is written in nature, and will 
last as long as nature. Oh, how great the plan of 
salvation ! — greater than if angels came down from 



186 



Heaven and declared it, because their testimony- 
would have been forgotten as time or the world 
moved on. Oh, will you sit unconcerned in your 
ease and not take advantage of so great a salva- . 
tion, placed so close to your doors ? Oh, think of ; 
it ; the Son of God and apostles being martyred, 
and suffered so that we might believe and love — 
simply love. Oh, what a contrast between us and 
them ! Oh, is love not sweeter than their pain and 
sorrow ? Oh, was it not a matter of kindness and 
love towards us on God's and their part ? Here 
is a mystery and wisdfom, and mercy and love to 
the world. Many a mortal has been bruised, 
afflicted, and suffered, so that those that enjoy this 
world, and the unbelieving, might be led to the 
cross without being bruised and afflicted; the 
afflicted receiving their reward in Heaven. So, 
then, believe and come to the cross of Jesus, so 
that you can live a life of truth and joy in this 
world, and eternal rest in the world to come. Oh, 
how thankful we should be that it is possible for 
us to come to Jesus without being bruised or 
afflicted, by believing through those that have been 
bruised, Oh, how much is it the case — living as 



187 



though earth was Heaven and Heaven the earth ! 
earth having the first place in the heart and Heaven 
the second place. As Heaven is above the earth, 
so must we also give Heaven the first place in our 
heart, or we will never obtain it. If we live for 
the earth we will die for the earth; if we live for- 
Heaven we will die for Heaven; is that not 
natural ? 

Oh, how .deep, how great this plan of salvation ! 
The Son of God and the apostles being martyred 
so that the world might believe, having received 
their reward in eternity. Now, for us to receive 
the same reward in eternity as the apostles did, it 
is not necessary for us to suffer and become mar- 
tyrs, as they did, there is true love they suffered 
through love to the world for us all ; through their 
suffering and martyrdom they became witnesses to 
the foundation of the church — Jesus Christ — He 
being such a foundation that all the combined wis- 
dom of self and the powers of darkness could 
never undermine, and a foundation such as keeps 
pace with the age of reason. 

When you build a house, the foundation cannot 
be the framework, nor can the framework be the 



188 



foundation — that is, the principle, the plan of sal- 
vation, is on God, having erected in Zion a holy 
house, the Saviour being the foundation thereof, 
and the apostle's witnesses to that foundation ; 
therefore, I said the apostles suffered and were 
martyred for the benefit of the world, but they 
did not suffer and were martyred at the insti- 
gation of God, but by the instigation of man — self- 
interest, selfishness and pride being concerned in it, 
God leaving man, then have full control of his 
will, which he also does during our salvation, 
it being a principle concerned in the salvation, or 
in our existence, for to keep intact our personality 
or individuality as a being. I said it is not neces- 
sary for us to suffer and become martyrs, as did the 
Saviour and apostles, but it is necessary for us to 
have the love within our hearts which they had for 
to be able to enter into Heaven. Oh, will you sit 
quiet and unconcerned when salvation is placed 
so close to your door or ease ? Oh, man, how de- 
plorable was your case, how brutal your nature, 
having murdered meti that were altogether kind 
and lovely, possessing a spirit and soul too lovely 
to be destroyed, informing you of the way to 



189 



Heaven at the continual risk of their lives ! Oh, 
was that not a lovely spirit; see that you do not 
disrespect that spirit to-day by carelessly disre- 
garding the purpose for which they sacrificed their 



CHAPTER XL, 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

These words of our Lord and Saviour are found 
recorded in the twenty-second chapter, according to 
the gospel of St. Matthew : " Thou shalt love the 
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy 
soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and 
great commandment, and the second is like unto it. 
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these 
two commandments hang all the law, and the 
prophets." Are those idle words, or do they have a 
meaning ? They mean that we must be spiritually 



190 



reborn, or born again, because a person in his natu- 
ral condition cannot love in the manner as de- 
scribed in those commandments, because the nature 
does not permit, therefore the nature must be 
changed, so it will permit. So, then, those two 
commandments are spirit, because they represent a 
spiritual law in nature, and they are also life be- 
cause they represent a law that will give man eter- 
nal life in Heaven, and that law must be developed 
within man through regeneration by faith. Oh, 
man, look at yourself how wonderfully you are 
made the possibility of communicating to you in 
word matters concerning your very spiritual exist- 
ence or life. Oh, should you not humbly come 
before your Lord and say what will you have me 
do ? Oh, man, you have a wonderful spiritual 
possibility existing within you. Oh, your nature 
of existence, what glory it is possible of, and you 
have communicated to you in word what to do to 
obtain this glory. God's word is spirit, — concerns 
your very nature and life. Are you not anxious 
to get the best out of anything you possess ? Then 
endeavor to come into possession of the best that 
your nature of existence is possible of, and that can 



191 



only be procured at the foot of the cross of Jesus, 
in the spirit of a child. When you humble yourself 
in that way, eventually you will feel your exalt- 
edness within your nature. Oh, how you will then 
be exalted, after passing through the law of death, 
and if you exalt yourself while here on earth 
through pride and self-love, oh, how you will then 
be debased after passing through the law of death, 
will be a substance of spiritual confusion. Oh, 
man, consider through word is communicated to 
you a spiritual law which cannot be created into its 
development on account of the free will principle 
being concerned, and that law has its possibility 
within you, and you are commanded by God what 
to do to bring it into development, you having 
your part to perform on account of your free will 
principle being concerned. So then the word is 
not only useful to man for the purpose of commu- 
nication between each other, but also useful to his 
salvation. We are a fallen race through nature, 
and we are commanded by God what to do to come 
out of our lost condition, or we, as a race, are nat- 
urally in enmity to God within our nature ; so then 
when you have done your best endeavors within 



192 



your own strength to satisfy the law, you are an 
unworthy and unprofitable servant, because you are 
then yet where Adam's disobedience placed you. 
You must come right down to that lowly and hum- 
ble spirit of the Saviour, and learn of him which is 
the only method or road that leads by nature to 
Heaven, and by nature you can only get there. 
All other methods lead by nature to destruc- 
tion. In this new birth or regeneration, your 
very passions must be gotten at, not so that 
ycu control them by great exertion when aroused 
to keep them down, preventing them from having 
Iheir wished-for liberty, but so that you can con- 
trol them with a smile, no matter in what nature 
you are placed. Then it is no more your individ- 
ual self or will that controls them, but it is a law 
of nature or holy love developed within you, Jesus 
dwelling with you. Oh, how natural it is then for 
those passions to be kept in bounds, no matter in 
what nature, giving your soul joy in the very 
manner they are controlled. Some say, happy is 
the man that can control his passions ; but I say, 
happy is the man that has them controlled by a 
law of nature or holy love. A man in his natural 



193 



condition may say he knows himself, because he is 
morally so good ; but he only knows himself in the 
position of life where nature has placed him, or 
the circle of life he exists and moves in, and only 
knows how far he can resist temptation by what 
he has resisted, or which is so far as he has ever 
been tempted. Many die and never had to endure 
the temptations others had, and if they had they 
might have fell into them, or it was possible for 
them to, so you see they have entered into eternity 
without that important point definitely settled, 
by not having made it beyond a possibility to fall 
in every temptation that this life in this world is 
heir to in all its channels and natures, by not hav- 
ing that law of holy love developed within them, 
which is our diploma that we have conquered every 
possible evil and temptation this world or life 
is heir to, no matter in what channel or what 
nature of temptation, whether we have been tempted 
by them or not. We have then conquered the 
entire world and flesh. Hence, narrow is the way 
that leads to life, but it is close to us. Jesus is 
continually knocking at the door of your hearts, 
wanting to come in. He is the way by nature; 



194 



will you open to him ? Man in his natural condi- 
tion is standing between God and nature; and 
Jesus' spirit or nature is the way that leads to God 
through that nature. Well, then, be as Jesus in 
nature and you will see God. 



CHAPTER XL! 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Man is redeemed and saved by one certain law, 
and no other method or way being possible, which 
is the law that existed in Abraham, all the holy 
prophets, and which the Saviour manifested to man 
in the flesh, which is that holy love or grace of 
God shed abroad in the heart, which purifies and 
corrects every nature or law in the heart, which 
fits us to be ushered into the presence of a holy 
God, and have free access to all that Heaven can 



195 



afford ; and we must be placed into that law while 
in the flesh, because it goes to makeup part of our 
being as a son of God, which part must be obtained 
from this nature of existence j and when you are 
ushered into the future life without having that 
part with you, you will be undone indeed, having 
left part of yourself behind on earth, having placed 
your affections on perishable things of time instead 
of eternal things. So, then, that possible law 
which existed within you in this life, perished with 
the perishable things of time. We are continually 
passing through laws of nature spiritually when 
we are passing through this life of regeneration. 
Is there any break in nature from the fall, through- 
out the salvation of man, naturally as well as 
spiritually. 

Through the flesh sin came into the world ; 
through the flesh sin is again taken out of the 
world. God has always revealed himself to the 
world through the medium of the flesh j in the 
flesh man lost Him, in the flesh he must again find 
Him, or lose him eternally. Nature's laws, or 
God's laws, are continually going their rounds, 
purifying a world, taking their time, not becoming 



196 



impatient, — as man would — doing their work 
correctly, which causes man to lose sight of its im- 
portance, not believing, because that which is to 
take place concerning this world, of which we have 
testimony in the Scriptures, appears to be never 
coming ; but man, it will come ; that nature's wheel 
will keep on turning and turning, but when it has 
accomplished its intended work, which is only 
known to the Father, it will, of a sudden, stop. 
It will then be. Oh, if that nature's wheel would 
only turn a little longer — but that wheel had been 
turning for ages before ; as patient as it was, so 
punctual on the other hand will it then be in exe- 
cuting its judgment. 

A child can only know that which belongs to it 
to know, as a child, and what is revealed to it ; 
man stands in the same relation to God as a child 
does to its parent or instructor. Man can only 
know that which belongs to him to know, as man, 
and what God will reveal to him ; and he should 
accept the instructions of God in faith, depending 
on them to be right, for there are things for God 
to know only, such as the quality of the spiritual 
ingredients which are used to make a son of man a 



197 



son of God ; therefore a man should accept the 
instructions from God to be placed into those in- 
gredients spiritually, even if he does not know 
their quality, or if he cannot analyze them through 
scientific processes. For whose sake was Abra- 
ham's faith tested ; for his, God or the world's sake ? 
Why, for the world's sake. And was that com- 
prehended by Abraham at the time it occurred ? 
No, it was not. So, always have faith in God ; 
His ways are always right, even if it is beyond 
your comprehension and reasoning power. Who 
can measure the wisdom of God ! Oh, what econ- 
omy in the workings and ways of God ! — nothing 
being wasted in the spiritual as well as in the ma- 
terial world ; all that occurred in the old dispensa- 
tion being an assistance to man to strengthen their 
faith who exist in the new dispensation, and when 
they received their punishments and rewards in the 
old, it was justifiable for them to receive them? 
being in order with nature, they justifying it; so 
the evil is continually assisting the good to come 
out from evil, but God does not cause evil so good 
may come therefrom ; but all the evil that ever ex- 
isted or does exist in the world or man, emanates. 



198 



entirely from man, being the fruits of self. Man 
is a depending being — so created and could not be 
otherwise for sake of government, but does not 
want to be depending. Hence confusion, warring 
against an order and nature he was created in. 
Abraham's faith was imputed to him for right- 
eousness ; so he had developed in him the law of 
holy love through faith, which holy love produces 
righteousness ; so he lived and existed in the law — 
the same law that existed in the holy prophets, and 
which the Saviour manifested to man in the flesh. 
Each had their part to perform in this salvation — 
the Saviour could not be Abraham, nor could 
Abraham be the Saviour; nor could the holy 
prophets be Abraham. Oh, how perfect are God's 
laws! it having heen possible at any time for 
man to receive salvation and eternal life if he had 
sufficient faith, and impossible if not having faith, 
because not desiring it. Any one that says they 
have faith in God, and have not earnestly repented, 
and obey His commandments, deceive themselves ; 
they have faith as long as it does not conflict with 
their worldly interests, no matter how much it con- 
flicts with the Saviour's interest or kingdom, or as 



199 



long as it does not conflict with their worldly 
pleasures, or as long as they can see through the 
mysterious ways of God ; but as soon as they can- 
not see to the bottom, their faith leaves them, for- 
getting that there is where faith requires to be 
exercised, which worketh towards perfection. If 
man saw and knew all things, faith would no more 
be required ; but how can a depending being know 
all things ! True faith is the only thing that 
changes the heart and nature, therefore without 
faith you cannot be saved. Faith causes you to 
take the first step towards salvation, which is re- 
pentance in the spirit of a child. Faith causes 
you to bring forth first fruits worthy to that 
repentance, and when having done that you receive 
the love of God in your heart, which causes you 
to bring forth more fruit — the fruit of love — which 
is the fulfilling of the law as soon as fully devel- 
oped. 



200 



CHAPTER XLIL 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

There is a justification by self, and a justification 
by the law. A justification by self is in this na- 
ture: A man justifying himself as being good 
enough without the Saviour by complying with 
the moral law, or justifying himself on the merits 
of others, being naturally better than they, or a 
Justification such as the Pharasee made, thanking 
God that he was so much better than the poor 
publican ; which all is of a justification by self. 
And the justification by the law is in this nature : 
A man being convicted before God, through the 
Scriptures, feeling that conviction within his con- 
science ; so then he is convicted in spite of himself, 
by his conscience, the law. If he then, in that 
convicted manner, repents and earnestly seeks sal- 
vation, eventually grace or holy love, consumes 



201 



that convicting conscience. So, then, that same 
conscience or law that once condemned him in 
spite of himself, justifies him in spite of himself. 
So then he is justified by the law, his conscience, 
and not by himself, which is a justification such 
that is genuine, and will stand the test of judg- 
ment. Then he is in the Saviour's hands, where 
no man can pluck him out, given to him by God 
the Father, through His laws in nature ; then he 
is perfect, even as God is perfect ; that is, he is 
perfect as a son of God, as God is perfect as God. 
The Saviour also says that no one is good but God, 
which signifies that nothing is to be worshipped 
but God ; that He was to be worshipped so far as 
He represented God, but not as He represented 
man. We cannot worship God in spirit and in 
truth but through him, which is by possessing of 
His spirit or nature through the grace of God by 
that faith which worketh by love. Man, you are 
composed of laws, but that law of holy love which 
the Saviour manifested to man, no man can inherit 
or possess naturally, no matter how good he is ; he 
must go through a process of nature to become 
into possession of that law, or to become a son of 



202 



God. Then do at once as God commands, so that 
you can go through this process of nature ; or do 
you prefer to lie dormant, spiritually, until death, 
and then reap the fruit thereof; everlastingly 
undone. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Oh, Lord, I love to meditate day and night in 
Thy perfect laws ! Man may wish to be saved, 
and enter into thy eternal rest ; but he is not 
willing unless he earnestly repents ; repentance 
and faith is necessary ; none are too good to repent ; 
we are all born in sin, after the will of the flesh, 
and if to be an heir to Heaven we must again be 
born of the spirit. The world can see proofs veri- 
fying the truthfulness of the Christian religion; 
but one proof it cannot possess, which belongs only 



203 



to a Christian in spirit and in truth ; they can tell 
the world of its glory, but they cannot give it away, 
because it does not belong to them to give ; the 
worldly cannot have or receive it unless they kneel 
under the spiritual cross of Jesus. What is this 
glory? Why it is the law; you can see it and 
hear it in words, but you cannot be saved by it 
unless you taste of it by feeling it within your 
heart and nature — tasting of its glory — having 
received of the Saviour's spirit. I now see my 
former spiritual defects by what this law has cor- 
rected within me. This holy love is higher than 
all earthly ties — even family ties. Our Lord and 
Saviour also says, "He that loveth father or mother 
more than me is not worthy of me ; and he that 
loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy 
of me." f And also says, " FoFwhoso^veFshall do" 
the will of my Father which is in Heaven, the 
same is my brother, and sister, and mother/ I 
now understand that within my nature ; but. when 
the family possesses that love of Jesus,' it will 
also increase the love in the family. 



204 



f ' 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

When man was created he was surrounded with 
certain enjoyments, but those enjoyments had their 
possible evil, and to keep man from that possible 
evil he had received the commandment of God; 
but man disobeyed and fell into that possible 
evil, and that possible evil had to be, or else he 
could not have had the possible enjoyment which 
he fell from; but when we become a son of 
God we have quickened and developed within 
us the law of holy love, which will cause us to 
will and to do, and make it beyond a possibility 
to again fall or disobey in that image, even 
when surrounded with Heaven's glory. So, then, 
after the fall took place mail was surrounded with 



205 



good and evil, freely indulging in both, because his 
will was left free to act, as in the first place. 
God controls the will, to fulfill a certain purpose ; 
but. never controls in spiritual matters for to cause 
you to obey or seek salvation ; that is left entirely 
to yourself; and how could it be otherwise, when 
you are a free-will, responsible moral agent. 

To illustrate this good and evil, we will take 
civilized government for an example : Look at 
the amount of good it has accomplished ; but that 
same government has its possible evil, which is the 
evil it brings with it ; such as the vices among its 
people, and the corruptions in government ; but if 
we all fully obeyed the commandments of God, as 
they exist in Christ Jesus, we would only reap the 
benefit of its virtue, and not have to partake of its 
evil. And so it is also with the nature of our exist- 
ence ; we have a mind, the power of reason, differ- 
ent passions; those are all possible of producing 
great good, pleasure, happiness and joy to the being 
possessing them, even in this life, far beyond what 
man, in his natural condition, can comprehend, 
and they are also possible of producing great evil, 
sorrow, misery and discontentedness, and if man 



206 



had not this mind, reason and passions, he could 
not have the enjoyment of their great possible vir- 
tue and happiness which they can produce to man. 
So, then, to be in possession of this possibility, also 
makes it possible for this sorrow and evil to come, 
but then, if we obey God's commandments as they 
exist in Christ Jesus, we are conquerers over all 
this possible evil, and will reap the benefit of all 
those virtues and bliss that the manner or nature 
of our existence is possible of, not only in this life, 
but throughout all eternity, which is bliss inde- 
scribable. Oh, I thank God for this victory 
through His son Christ Jesus. Oh, man ! get 
into this grace of God and you will have more than 
won a kingdom. Oh, be placed into that obedient 
law of God, through regeneration, so that you 
can serve God in love, or in spirit and in truth. 

Before we have conquered this world, or flesh, 
entirely, we must be in a nature that all the tempta- 
tions that this world is possible of, or heir to, would 
not make us yield, no matter how we are surrounded 
with them or how accidental they might drop 
across our path ; that is the complete victory which 
must be won before you deserve heaven — which is 



207 



to be a living branch in Christ Jesus. How can 
you expect to be admitted into Heaven's glory when 
you have not conquered through Christ Jesus, by 
possessing of His spirit or nature the whole possible 
evil of this world, and the whole possible evil ex- 
isting in the manner or nature of your existence. 



CHAPTER XLV. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Our free will and individual mind makes our 
distinct personality or individuality as a being ; so, 
then, with our free will and intellect we are in the 
image of God, but a depending being at God's 
disposal through laws. The human race, at present 
in that image, are, through their own nature, in 
rebellion or in enmity to God ; so, then, the hu- 
man race, in their natural condition, are standing 



208 



between God and nature, or spiritual laws of nature; 
because our nature must be renovated of its carnal 
nature to be again freed of that rebellion or enmity 
to God, in that image ; as long as we use our will 
entirely to gratify self, or on perishable things of 
time, this cannot be brought about, because we pre- 
vent those renovating methods and laws from hav- 
ing their freedom, preventing them from doing 
their work; therefore, the Saviour says, u If thine 
eye offend thee pluck it out ; it is better for thee 
to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, 
than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire," — 
meaning that anything that prevents this change 
from being brought about, for to sacrifice it so that 
it will not be a hindrance to our soul's salvation. 

Man being naturally in enmity to God, in his 
nature or spiritual existence, so he must go about 
it in a natural manner to be freed from that 
enmity ; and the only natural manner is for him to 
humble himself before his God, in the spirit of a 
child, pleading for mercy, and bring fruit to that 
repentance, and continually strive for a closer walk 
with God, through faith; he will then receive the 
love of God in his heart revealing to him a char- 



209 



acter which will astonish him for its beauty ; he will 
then have the law written in his heart; he will 
then look at the world through that law ; every 
passion and law in his moral and spiritual existence 
is then brought into captivity or subordination to 
the law of love, and gives him, within his nature, 
the greatest pleasure to have those laws and pas- 
sions controlled by that law ; then, when this is 
brought about, he is no more in enmity to God — 
His love in his heart has consumed all guilt. 

Is that, then, not a natural transaction — a trans* 
formation ? Is that not truth ? Is that not being 
reborn of the spirit a compliance with the Saviour's 
commandment, "That ye must be born again to see 
the Kingdom of Ggd; that which is borij ofthe flesh j^ 
flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit."' 
Every one who has not been regenerated, their con- 
science condemns them, I care not who they are; 
and as long as that conscience condemns them so 
long are they in enmity to God, or are of the flesh. 
When a man is no longer in enmity to God, his 
conscience justifies him ; he could then die any 
moment and meet his God in love. If God's lov- 
ing spirit is present in my heart, telling me that 



210 



He loves me, I must believe it, for God is truth ; 
so this is the natural and only way of obtaining 
this great truth, reality and salvation unto eternal 
life. > 

My fellow-man, if this was written through ' 
imagination, or my individual opinion, you might 
receive it as such ; but it is written in reality, in 
laws of my own experience and what has been 
given to me to know through the spirit of truth. 
Oh, whoever has not sufficient faith to humble 
themselves in the manner as herein said, will never 
receive God's true love and mercy, but his wrath. 
If I went about it in my own way for to obtain 
salvation, no matter what efforts and sacrifices I 
would make, it would profit me nothing, because 
the philosophical principle concerned in salvation 
would still be unsatisfied according to God's law, 
which principle must be satisfied; or I would 
then yet be where AdanTs disobedience placed me — 
in enmity to God by nature, or in my very spiritual 
existence, being yet of the flesh. Some men are 
born naturally good ; but still they are of the flesh, 
where Adam's disobedience placed them. A com- 
plete change must take place within our nature, or 



211 



our spiritual and moral existence. All those forms 
I pass through, or those sacrifices I make in my 
own way, or those endeavors I make in my own 
strength to satisfy the law, will not change my 
nature, because it requires the quickening of the 
spirit of God to bring that about, which spirit 
is not received unless we humble ourselves before 
God in a child-like manner, repenting and believ- 
ing on Him ; then, when we have done that, we 
have gone through a transaction concerning our 
nature — the same as Adam's disobedience was a 
transaction concerning his and our nature. So, 
then, when that transaction has taken place, con- 
cerning our nature, we will be corrected in nature, 
through the spirit of God — brought out of this 
enmity to God, through nature, in peace with God, 
through nature. 



212 



CHAPTER XLVL 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Since I have passed through this life of regenera- 
tion I have been asked by men, in their natural 
condition, if this or that indulgence was a sin ; and 
they would be certain to select an indulgence that 
had the least appearance of sin about it, to a 
worldly-minded person. If I had undertaken to 
tell those men that it was a sin it would have had 
about the same effect on them that it would have 
on a child if I undertook to teach it the higher 
branches of learning before it had learned its 
letters. They would laugh at me and could not 
see where sin come in, because the evil spirit has 
full control over them, using similar cunning per- 
suasions which he used in the garden of Eden 
when he caused the fall of Eve. Did he not tell 
Eve, " If you eat of that forbidden fruit you shall 



213 



not surely die." Has he not proved himself a 
deceiver and a liar? The moment that Eve tasted 
of the forbidden fruit that moment she began to 
die ; and did she not pass away from this world by 
death. When our first parents disobeyed God, 
He did not withdraw from them, but they with- 
drew from God, Vhich caused them, through na- 
ture, to be spiritually dead to God ; and is it not 
natural that Satan would persuade man out of 
everything that is aimed at him and his king- 
dom. Every soul that is won to righteousness and 
holiness is a blow at, and weakens his kingdom, 
So, then, Satan, through nature, having control 
over a man, in his natural condition, if he asked 
me if this or that indulgence was a sin, I would 
tell him of God's commandments — to obey them as 
they appear to him on the surface ; and if he obeys 
them and earnestly seeks for the way, as he 
advances towards holiness God will teach him, 
through the Holy Spirit, what has even the re- 
motest tendency towards evil ; this is a duty the 
Holy Spirit only can and does well perform. God 
casts no one off that earnestly seeks Him; that is 
what he wants us to do ; therefore, we received the 



214 



commandments, and every one will have adminis- 
tered to them according to their necessities. Evil 
will then be discontinued, because we are then lay- 
ing the fouudation of an immortal house, and ma- 
terial that decays and passes away cannot be used. 
It requires pure immortal material, which we then 
fully know how to select and place in that founda- 
tion. 

The reason that it is a sin to indulge in some 
amusements, that are apparently innocent to the 
worldly, is because they divert the mind and affec- 
tions from eternal things — when the mind and 
affections ought to be placed on things eternal, so 
as to have the soul released from sin, or this carnal 
nature, through regeneration ; then, after that is 
accomplished, everything in the line of innocent 
amusement would be done to the honor of God ; 
pure love would then be continually flowing from 
your heart to God, glorifying Him in your amuse- 
ment instead of having your affections alone on the 
earthly things, and possibly falling into its sur- 
rounding temptations. Oh ! how lovely that love 
is ! Oh ! what a beautiful character it does develop ! 
When arrived at this point you could even then 



215 



indulge in some of those amusements that are ap- 
parently innocent to the worldly-minded, without 
doing you harm ; because anything attracting your 
affections, instead of the love flowing alone to it, 
it would also flow to God ; but when you are a true 
Christian you deny yourself of this for the sake of 
the generations to follow and the unconverted, so 
that you will not give your moral support to an 
amusement that leads their minds and affections 
away from eternal things, so as not to prevent 
their hearts from being changed, so that they might 
love as you loved ; and this is not a feeling of re- 
straint on your part, but it gives your soul pleasure 
to do so, because you have that grace of God in 
your heart ; and where is there anything on earth 
to equal it ? 

These are the reasons that such amusements are 
a sin. It is not the amusement itself that is the 
sin, but the effects it produces, in the manner as 
described, and the possible evil and temptations 
they contain, to the worldly ; and all sin that give 
their moral support to it. So, then, herein is the 
mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven ; when having 
arrived at a point that love flows to the throne of 



216 



God in everything you do, you are then fit for 
another world, where all is love and everything is 
done through love — which causes evil to be un- 
known there, and joy and bliss for you inde- 
scribable — having access to things that carnal 
nature could not be trusted with, because love, or 
the spirit of God is in you, controlling you ; which 
spirit you cannot receive unless you are willing to 
receive it by giving your heart to God. 



CHAPTER XLVn. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Unless a man humbles himself God will not 
exalt him into Heaven's glory. Why, that is the 
principal feature concerned in our salvation; we 
are standing between God and nature ; or, does not 
the human race, through nature, stand at variance 



217 



with their maker, and has he not promised peace 
and great rewards on certain conditions? Is it 
not, then, our duty to repent ? Yes, we have sim- 
ply to humble ourselves, not before man, but be- 
fore our great Creator, the controller of this mighty 
universe ; but that self-reliant spirit in man often 
makes him too proud to do it. The Saviour was 
altogether too humble and lowly. As the Saviour 
humbled Himself in this world is to be exalted in 
the world to come; and to be too proud to do so is 
to be debased in the world to come ; to be as the 
Saviour is spiritual unity in the world to come ; to 
be too proud to be so is spiritual confusion in the 
world to come. God has extended to man very 
good conditions of peace : we have only to repent, 
and humble ourselves ; then it does not stop there, 
for the promise is to exalt us into Heaven's glory 
and forever be a son of His. Oh ! who will reject 
such easy terms of peace for so great a reward. 

Man, it is the very thoughts of your heart that 
must be reached in this salvation and made to suit 
the other world; yes, the pruning-knife'or Holy 
Spirit must go right down into the very depths of 
your soul and cut out that which is offensive to the 



218 



other world. No matter how good you are, natu- 
rally, or what sacrifices you make in your own 
way, will do no good whatever towards your salva- 
tion. You are then yet where Adam's disobedience 
placed you — spiritually in the flesh. There is too 
much self-judgment used in endeavoring to obtain 
this salvation — man not being willing to follow the 
Saviour's instructions. Man acts too much as 
though God was under obligations to him. All 
God requests of us is for our good and happiness. 
He can well do without us. This thoughtless, 
self-loving and relying spirit is the very worst kind 
of enmity to God, even if you are ever so good in 
your morals ; every one must have faith enough to 
humble themselves sufficiently to go right down to 
the foot of the hill and start for Heaven at the 
common starting place, as commanded by God ; 
then He will assist you to reach the top of the hill ; 
then every passion or law existing within you is 
brought into captivity to the law of love. So, 
then, if a severe accidental temptation drops across 
your path, love is present to say no, and you are 
not sorry because it is, but you are rather happy ; 
it is only then when you rightly enjoy all the laws 



219 



existing within your spiritual existence, because 
those laws are no more restrained by natural re- 
straints existing more or less in every person, and 
in society, which restraints often yield and does not 
give the happiness and pleasure to be restrained by 
them as it does by the law of love. It is, then, 
when all those other restraints are thrown off, 
letting you have full freedom, because you have the 
law of love with you to control you. 

Man, in his fall, spiritually placed himself into 
a condition unnatural to his creation, which causes 
the great spiritual unhappiness to exist ; so, then, 
when he is redeemed he is brought out of his 
present unnatural spiritual condition to his creation 
into a natural condition to his then manner of 
existence. Oh ! will that not then be joy and per- 
fection — for God is a perfect God. Look how per- 
fect He has made the mechanism of my body ; so 
perfect will I then be in my spiritual and moral 
existence. Oh ! will that not be lovely ! 

If a man has served the world all the days of his 
life, and then when cornered up by death, it is very 
easy for him to say, "Oh ! God, thy will be done ! " 
So will the enemy in battle, when he is cornered 



220 



up, surrender, and say to his captive, "Thy will be 
done/' We must surrender to God on his condi- 
tions, through love, before death stares us in the 
face; then our surrender is pure! How can it be 
pure when it is done because death stares us in the 
face? But then, again, some may say that the 
thief was pardoned on the cross when death stared 
him in the face. Yes, by faith we are saved ; but 
where is the gauge in human hands that can 
measure faith. We must take into consideration 
all concerned in that case. We must look into and 
consider the nature of that faith. In a natural 
point of view did it not look hopeless for that thief 
to call upon the Lord, and say, " Lord, remember 
me when thou comest into thy kingdom," when 
that Lord was nailed on the cross along side of 
him, being naturally in the same condition as him- 
self, as regards punishment. Did not that require 
a great faith to utter these words, " Lord remember 
me when thou comest into thy kingdom ; 9> the 
same as it requires a greater faith, or a faith of a 
different nature to surrender your heart to God in 
health, surrounded by the world's pleasure and 
luxury ; then the faith that will only say on the 



221 



death-bed, " Thy will be done," and is not a faith 
that will change the heart, but the other will. 
What sacrifices have you made to God when you 
surrender on your death-bed. You surrender be- 
cause you cannot help it. Whoever can under- 
stand, let them understand. No, not one tittle of 
the law can fail. 

Oh ! thou God of everlasting truth and perfec- 
tion, in the spiritual as well as the natural world, I 
stand amazed when those great truths stare me in 
the face — at God's perfect laws of truth in the 
spiritual as well as the natural world. Oh ! man 
there is as much harmony, truth and perfection ex- 
isting through laws, in the spiritual world, as is 
found in the natural world through the sciences. 
Yes, there is a Heaven where as much perfection 
exists in its moral division as exists in the natural 
world ; and love, or the moral image of God, is 
that which produces this effect ; and no mortal will 
ever receive this unless they repent before God, in 
the spirit of a child, and put all faith in God — the 
same as a child puts all faith in its parent ; and 
after this is done God gives you grace that worketh 
faith by love. Oh ! how lovely is that grace 



222 



Now, if this is the only method that will change 
you from a son of man to a son of God, how 
can you expect to become a son in any other way ? 
Any other way would not be entering in at the 
door. If you wish to produce a certain substance 
you will use a certain process ; and so is there, also, 
a certain process used to give a son of man the 
nature of the son of God, which is as described. 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

A great harm comes from trying to elevate God 
alone in the imagination, which causes some to lose 
sight of the essentials ; but it is done for fear of 
compromising His omnipotent power. In the 
creation of man, God placed a certain responsi- 
bility on man by creating man in His image, as re- 



223 



gards mind, and leaving the will free to act, which 
left the matter of obedience or disobedience entirely 
in the power of man. Some obey, in that image 
and enter into everlasting glory ; others disobey, in 
that image, and enter into everlasting ruin. Those 
that enten into everlasting glory, enter therein be- 
cause they willed to ask God to assist them to enter 
therein ; and those that enter into everlasting ruin 
enter because they willed it. 

When God's omnipotent power is considered 
concerning man, it is too often considered in a 
nature comparing man with the rest of creation, as 
though man was nothing but a machine, — not 
taking into consideration that we are different from 
all the rest of creation on account of our image to 
God — we having no bit in our mouth — but our bit 
is the Word of God, and how often is it despised ! 
A man that is continually warring against the 
physical laws of nature, existing within him will 
eventually have a shattered constitution. Who is 
then to blame, God or the man ? Why, the man. 
But we might as well say it compromises God's 
omnipotent power because He did not prevent that 
as to say it compromises God's omnipotent power 



224 



if a soul goes to destruction. It is a violation of 

law, in either case, by a free-will, responsible, moral 

agent ; so, then, when a soul does go to destruction 

it does not compromise God's omnipotent power ; 

nor does a soul go to destruction because it was so 

ordained, but because it willed it by disobedience 

to the law — as were the ancient cities destroyed, 

not because it was so ordained, but because of the 

peoples' disobedience and wickedness. 

The Israelites were the chosen people of God — 

chosen for a certain purpose ; and no other nation 

received any of their blessings or punishments; 

and all that have not the advantage of the gospel 

of Jesus Christ will neither receive in future life of 
its blessings nor of its punishment. God will judge 

every one with equity, with the law existing with- 
in them, and dispose of them accordingly. 

Man cannot render justifiable judgment concern- 
ing God's omnipotent power in the case of man, in 
all its details, unless he knew every detail of God's 
dispensation concerning man, or unless acquainted 
with the law that all have stood under, according 
to each covenant, and according as nature has 
placed man in, and of their disposal according 



225 



to that law. If anything went wrong in the natural 
world against the will of God, then it would com- 
promise His omnipotent power. 

God has established certain laws to redeem man 

' under, or to make man a son of God, and has 
allotted to man a certain portion to do under those 
laws ; if he then neglects to do that portion which 
has been allotted to him to do, and God does not 
do it for him, because His laws do not permit — 
does not compromise his omnipotent power even if 
the man's soul is lost; because that man has not 
fulfilled that which was allotted to him to do, upon 
which would depend in future life his government, 
and which he should also have fulfilled to keep 
intact his personality or individuality throughout 
the regeneration, so as to bring him into the being 
of a son of God ; or so that he would still retain 
his image to God. 

A man in his natural condition is a son of man 
born after the will of the flesh, and in his new 

, birth he is a son of God born of the spirit ; but 
while that new birth is taking place, through a 
course of nature, that free-will principle must be 
kept intact — left free to act, or be philosophically 



226 



satisfied ; so that it will give the being pleasure to 
comply with those changes all through, until he is 
changed spiriturlly from the being of a son of man to 
the being of a son of God — which is all the while 
done by leaving the will free to act. Even holy love 
leaves the will free to act ; but holy love is more 
precious than anything we know of, and therefore 
the controlling law which controls and governs a 
son of God, which law goes to make up part of 
the being of a son of God. 

Then here is where we can plainly see God's 
omnipotent power, which is this : By a rebellious 
act of man against God, man became an inferior 
to his first creation; but by man becoming an 
inferior to his first creation, through an action of his 
he also, by the power of God, becomes out of that 
inferior, a superior to his first creation, and which 
also plainly reveals the fact that our government, 
or God's governing power, exists within the very 
nature of our existence or creation ; and whenever 
God's command or law is violated the being is 
thrown into a helpless condition. Oh ! how power- 
ful is God ! Every being in the spiritual world of 
this great universe subservient to His will in the 



227 



very nature of his existence. Oh ! who will rebel 
against such a God, and undertake to teach Him 
wisdom by saying God would not be just if He 
done so and so, and God could not be the pure and 
loving being if he done so and so ! Has it not 
often been known to condemn a man for doing a 
certain act, and after receiving fuller details con- 
cerning his reasons for the course pursued, justified 
and highly praised for his action. So the same 
will occur when man opens his eyes on the other 
side of the grave, having then naturally fuller 
details concerning God's ways with man. How 
can man ever think to set up his limited reason 
and power of comprehension against God's unlim- 
ited powers. I see God's power in everything, 
even in the very mechanism displayed in my body ; 
in the construction of my eye ; in the variations of 
the countenances and faces of man ; in the varia- 
tions in the human voice, so that we can know 
each other by the voice ; and in the great capabil- 
ities of the human mind. "When I look over the 
face of the earth and see what it has accomplished, 
God is worthy my faith, because He is a powerful 
God, and I know that whoever gives Him his faith 



228 



it will not be misplaced, for He can accomplish 
what He says. 

We sometimes hear men speaking about the 
heathen : If God done so and so with the heathen, 
or if He done so and so with another class, there 
would be no justice in it; saying it is unreason- 
able — just as though they could see away into 
the future up to the throne of God, and render a 
justifiable judgment. They do not know, nor ran 
they know, in their condition, what law those 
heathen stand under. They are endeavoring to 
render judgments on matters which are naturally 
out of their reach. There is seen the possible evil 
connected with the possible good ; that same mind 
and reason God gave to man being used against 
Him, which should be used instead by man to 
work out his salvation. How can man know all 
details concerning God's dispensations on the other 
side of the grave, and render judgments, unless 
God will reveal it to him ? And God will not 
reveal it to him as long as he argues the point 
with God ; and if he argues the point here he 
would also want to argue the point in the future 
life, and no doubt would endeavor to dethrone 



229 



God if it were possible for him to do so. All we 
have to do is to look to the law we stand under 
and act accordingly — every one will be disposed of 
according to the law they stand under. To under- 
stand the Kingdom of Heaven unto salvation, 
requires the combination of the mind, heart, and 
the light of the Holy Spirit ; and when it requires 
those three combined to work together, how can a 
man, in his natural condition, render justifiable 
judgments on the dispensations of God concerning 
man's salvation, when he can only employ his 
individual mind within his own strength in the 
examination of those dispensations, lacking the 
two most important helpers — the assistance of the 
heart and the Holy Spirit. And for to receive 
the assistance of those three lights combined in 
this work, requires a humiliation before God; 
repenting in the spirit of a child, and earnestly 
seeking for the way. 

As I said before, by a rebellious act of man 
against God, he became an inferior to. his first cre- 
ation ; but by man becoming an infericr to his 
first creation by an action of his own, he also be- 
comes, out of that inferior, by the power of God, 



230 



a superior to his first creation So in this case 
God is omnipotent as regards the ransomed souls ; 
so man cannot pass judgment any furl her concern- 
ing God's omnipotent powers with man, because 
man has not, in his present state, the full details 
of God's dispensations concerning man. That is, 
man has not the full details of man's disposal 
according to the law each stands under. So man 
cannot render judgment where God is omnipotent 
and where he is not omnipotent in those cases ; 
therefore he must wait until he enters into a state 
of existence where he can comprehend more of 
God's powers and dispensations, before he can pass 
judgment on those points. 



231 



I CHAPTEE XLIX. 

j 

TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

In the deluge there was a certain element in the 
natural world which destroyed man from off the face 
of the Earth, which element was water; but Noah 
was righteous, and through faith obeyed God's com- 
mandments — rose above that destroying element of 
nature in building the ark, which floated on top 
of that nature, or rose above it. Had he not 
built the ark, through lack of faith, that element 
of nature would have destroyed him and his family 
as it did all the rest of mankind. And water is, 
also, one of the chief elements in nature for the 
support of life ; we could not do without it ; in 
the manner we are at present constituted, to do 
without it would be death. Nevertheless, as im- 
portant a part as it fulfills in our maintenance of 
life it was used to destroy man from off the face 



232 



of the Earth ; but, as I said before, Noah, the 
righteous, rose above it, through faith, in building 
the ark, according to the dimensions received from 
God. 

There is an evil element within the nature of 
man — a carnal nature, which is enmity to God — 
which element of nature will destroy man, in spite 
of himself, unless he rises above it, through faith, 
building his spiritual ark, after the dimensions 
received from God in Christ Jesus. We must go 
about building that spiritual ark after the pattern 
received. God will furnish us with the proper 
material as he furnished it to Noah in building the 
natural ark. Death may be a long way off, but it 
is certain to come as did the flood. Oh ! have 
your ark ready, made after your received pattern, 
(Jesus,) so when the deluge (death) takes place 
within your nature you will be in that spiritual 
ark, and rise above that destroying carnal element 
in your nature. If you do not rise above that car- 
nal nature your own nature will destroy you, as 
nature in the element of water destroyed man in 
the deluge. Oh ! depraved man ! how far had you 
receded into darkness, through disobedience ; but 



233 



into what marvellous light have you been led 
by the Word, and through Christ Jesus. 

Salvation begins with a natural ark, built out of 
material nature, floating and rising above all the 
then destroying elements of earth, or in the natural 
world, and ends with a spiritual ark, composed of 
spiritual elements or nature, rising above all destroy- 
ing elements in the spiritual world of our nature, or 
moral and spiritual existence. Are you in that 
ark or are you not ? If not, delay no longer ; for 
when Noah's ark was building the world was going 
on with its usual merry-making, but when the 
deluge came: "Had I only built an ark! Had I 
only built an ark ! " So it will be when death 
comes : " Had I only lived a better life, built my 
ark and hopes in Christ Jesus, instead of perish- 
able things of time I" 



234 



CHAPTER L. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Unless a man humbles himself God will not 
exalt him. These words contain much. If 
man does not indulge in any appearing wicked- 
ness, but relies on his own self and wisdom, re- 
jecting the Saviour and His teachings, he is then 
possessed with a spirit which possesses the greatest 
enmity to God, no matter what he does or what 
kind of a life he leads. How could God exalt 
that man at death, when he has treated with con- 
tempt His plan of redemption, or how can the 
Creator exalt the creature when the creature has 
set up his wisdom against the wisdom of the Crea- 
tor ? Or how can man be more exalted when he 
is already in rebellion in the position where he 
has already been exalted above all the rest of crea- 
tion? There is plainly seen the possible evil, 



235 



connected with the possible good ; being possible 
for that same mind and wisdom which God gave 
to man, to be used by man against God, as well as 
to be useful to man for to work out his salva- 
tion. Oh ! conquer all those possible evils through 
Christ Jesus, so that you can, through all eternity, 
reap the virtue of the possible good of these possi- 
bilities, which is bliss indescribable, such as has 
never entered into the heart of man. Then again, 
a man may be born naturally good, just, kind- 
hearted, and if not reborn it availeth him nothing 
toward entering into Heaven, because he has not the 
law within him to enter therein ; that man may 
not be affected with temptation as long as he is not 
tempted with temptations outside of his circle of 
life ; but let him be suddenly transferred into a 
new circle of life surrounded by new and greater 
temptations, he may yield, or it is possible for him 
to yield, as did some in the old dispensation, as did 
David, he being as just and good as man could 
naturally be, for he shows it in his history ; but 
when he was suddenly elevated into a new circle 
of life with its temptations, he yielded to temp- 
tation, indulging in the possible evil which that 



236 



elevated position or circle of life possibly contained; 
but after he tasted of the greatest possible pleasure 
this world could naturally produce, and fell into 
its possible evil, he was then punished by afflic- 
tions, and through those afflictions he earnestly 
repented, brought forth fruit to his repentance by 
discontinuing that possible evil, which was pos- 
sible to that highest possible enjoyment this world 
could produce to him, so he entered the merited or 
holy grace of God, and through His grace became 
pure in heart or soul, conqueror over the flesh and 
this world, over all its possible evil. So, then, 
David in spirit tasted and discontinued the possi- 
ble evil, which was possible with the highest possi- 
ble pleasure this world could produce to him. So, 
then, David's Psalms are ever a monument to his 
righteousness and purity of heart, which state he 
entered into after his afflictions and repentance. 
And the test of Abraham's faith is a monument to 
him for his righteousness. And if a man now 
humbles himself, and carries the spiritual cross of 
Jesus, He will then dwell with him ; he will then 
have gained the same victory that David gained 
through all those afflictions; be conqueror over 



237 



all the temptations which all circles or channels of 
this life possibly contain, or which this world is 
possible of. You must attain to that position be- 
fore you can see God. Then that is what you can 
call the complete victory over Satan and the flesh. 
Oh ! by the grace of God work to obtain this 
victory. When you have of Jesus' spirit with you 
in your nature, how can you yield, when he did 
not yield ! When man is elevated to a responsible 
office, he must give security for the faithful per- 
formance of his duty. God has endowed us with 
His image in point of mind, and leaving our will 
free to act, and if we are to be exalted into Hea- 
ven's glory, He wants security against all the pos- 
sible evil that mind and the nature of our exist- 
ence is possible of creating against Him, ourselves 
and the glories of Heaven ; and this security must 
be established through a process of nature, because 
nature is just what it is and nothing else. So, 
then, be minded and natured as the received pattern 
Christ Jesus. Oh ! think of that holy, lovely 
and humble spirit He possessed ! These are the 
conditions God has displayed to man through 
nature, upon which he can be admitted into His 



238 



favor and presence ; but for us to obtain this in 
our nature, so that our nature will comply to this, 
requires exertion on our part, but we can obtain this 
victory if we go about it as God has commanded — 
in a child-like spirit; God will then create or 
develop that nature within us. The Saviour has 
been the redeemer for man since his fall ; that is 
the law, nature or spirit which existed in Christ 
Jesus, or which He manifested toman, was the law 
or spirit that redeemed man and united him to 
God ever since the fall ; so whoever possessed 
of the spirit of the Saviour, was redeemed. So, 
then, that same spirit was manifested to man 
as such in the Saviour manifested to man naturally 
in the flesh. So, then, as good as David was when 
he was elevated to the throne of Israel, he did not 
yet possess the spirit of the Saviour, or was not 
yet redeemed by it ; whereas, if he had he would 
not have yielded. But after his afflictions and his 
repentance, and his bringing proper fruit to his 
repentance, he received the spirit of the Redeemer, 
or Saviour, because he surrendered his whole heart 
to God in the sacrifices he made, and thereby 



239 



became pure in heart or soul, which purity is seen 
in the effects of his Psalms. 

Indeed, the way to Heaven is narrow. When 
David humbles himself so in the Psalms, what is it 
but the love of the Saviour received into his heart, 
wrought through the full surrender of his heart to 
God, which is a love such as all redeemed receive, 
and only makes this earth to them an abiding 
place. So, then, by the Saviour appearing in the 
flesh and becoming the foundation of our faith and 
church, he became naturally as well as spiritually 
our redeemer. I said that God had endowed us 
with His image in point of mind, and leaving our 
will free to act, and He will also endow us with 
His moral image through redemption, if we only 
obey and come unto Him as commanded, as it 
behooves a free-will, responsible, moral agent to do, 
for without the performance of that part on the 
part of the free-will, responsible, moral agent who 
is in rebellion through nature, this change cannot 
be brought about, or he cannot receive God's moral 
image because it is contrary to all philosophy to 
receive it, because God's moral image is love, and 
His love we cannot receive in our spirit until we 



240 



have committed an action towards God in our 
rebellious state which calls for love on the part of 
God. And I also said that David was not yet 
redeemed by the spirit of the Saviour when he 
entered the throne of Israel ; but then God said 
he was a man after His own heart — yes, but he 
did not at that time say he was pure in heart, but 
he became pure afterwards. The Psalms were 
produced through David, he then fully doing God's 
will in his very heart. And does not David's case 
also show very clearly that man must be born 
again, or be redeemed by the spirit of the Saviour, 
before he can be elevated into Heaven's glory, 
because man in his natural condition could not 
bear that elevation; it would create evil conse- 
quences the same as there were evil consequences 
produced in David's elevation — a pollution of the 
natural body, as the other would be a pollution of 
the spiritual or celestial body, only in a different 
nature, and corruption cannot be immortal, or cor- 
ruption cannot inherit incorruption. David was a 
man that was as good as man could be in the con- 
dition sin placed man in, and was the man above 
all men, or the only man God wanted at that time 



241 



to be kiug over the Israelites, for certain rea- 
sons known to himself and known to those that 
can receive it. David had his failing in one re- 
spect, where another one has it in another nature. 
So man, in his natural condition, is in a state of 
spiritual confusion, no matter who he i3; he is 
unfit for Heaven's harmony, glory and incorrupti- 
bility, until he is reborn or redeemed by the spirit 
of the Saviour. Oh, man ! in this world of con- 
fusion, where is the gauge in human hands that can 
measure the nature in man and pronounce it fit for 
to be ushered into the presence of a holy God and 
the glories of Heaven, unless God will place it into 
his hands ? And every one will have that gauge 
placed into their nature if they will only come to 
God in the true spirit. 

The willing sacrifice of Abraham of his only 
son, which he was willing to' make at the com- 
mand of God, reveals the fact very clearly that 
holiness was the first or most precious object in the 
sight of Abraham, and earthly things secondary 
affairs ; which is also the case with a person that is 
reborn. When God has placed nature within our 
reach, so that we might believe, let us then believe 



242 



and be saved. Why should we not believe when 
God and nature says it is so? God could well in 
truth say to Abraham, in thy seed shall all the 
nations of the earth be blessed, spiritually as well 
as naturally. You can see what God commanded 
Abraham to do penetrated to the heart ; but never- 
theless it was God's commandment, and he was 
willing to make the sacrifice. Was not, then, 
Abraham a good representative of holiness to place 
down before the world a foundation of truth, or a 
sound foundation for the then primitive church, 
being of the same nature spiritually as is the 
nature of the foundation of the church to-day. 
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that is being 
a foundation of spiritual truth, proven through 
nature to be so, but the Son of God gave his life 
as a ransom to purify the church and for to redeem 
the world, and so that the world might be judged 
with equity under that redemption, by being con- 
vinced of sin, righteousness, and of judgment, the 
church could then again become corrupt ; but then 
the power existed within Wr.to again purify her- 
self, because the power of hell was 1 broken when 
the Saviour sacrificed himself; the Holy Spirit 



243 



was poured out on the earth, the power of dark- 
ness might show its power in all its strength and 
check that Holy Spirit, but it can never quench it. 
Oh ! thank God for His grace, that it never can. 
Now, has God displayed all this holiness for a 
mere show, which He has displayed in Abraham, 
the prophets, the Saviour and apostles? No, but 
for the sake of our souls' salvation. We speak of 
the Saviour's nice parable of the prodigal son ; but 
what good does it do our souls to speak about it? 
We must go spiritually to God, in the nature as 
the prodigal son went to his father, before it will 
do our souls any good ; our souls will then be fed 
on the true manna of Heaven, as that son's soul 
was fed on the love of a father. 

Sometimes when sinners repent their heart is 
secretly clinging to something earthly ; they have 
not entirely given their heart to God to be spirit- 
ually purified ; the world has yet a control there, 
and two masters cannot be served, Give your 
heart wholly to God, so it can be purified. 



244 



CHAPTER LI. 



TKUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

When David entered on the throne of Israel he 
was not yet redeemed by the spirit of the Saviour, 
or the law existing in the Saviour, outside of which 
law no man will ever see God ; and that should be 
a great lesson to all mankind. How impossible 
it is for man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 
without being reborn of the spirit — showing 
plainly, that no matter how good a person is natu- 
rally; or how much they endeavor, through their 
own strength, to serve God ; or how good-natured 
they are ; or how strong their assenting faith may 
be ; or even though they have the faith that 
David had to go out and meet Goliath- — it all 
profiteth nothing toivards entering into Heaven! 
That faith of David's was sincere in its nature, 
and God respected it, and David was successful in 



245 



his attempt, — the same as a penitent sinner's faith 
would be respected and answered to-day, if he 
pleaded forgiveness through repentance ; and would 
cause the penitent sinner to receive his expectations, 
or what his nature of faith calls for, which is 
eternal life in Heaven ; the same as all faith has 
ever been respected by God, within its nature, 
causing the adherent to receive his expectations ; 
hence, joy to the adherent when his expectations 
were realized. There can be seen the continual 
spiritual harmony in the spiritual world ; so, then, 
any one that does not repent before his God^ in a 
child -like spirit, and then put his whole faith and 
trust in God, seeking for a home in Heaven, will 
never receive it, because he has not the faith to 
receive it, on account of that being the only nature 
of faith that will produce it for him ; so, then, 
that faith is the cause and eternal life the effect of 
that cause ; the same as the seed of the flower is 
the cause and the flower the effect of that cause, 
backed up by the soil of the earth or the power of 
God. So place yourself, by faith, into the hands 
of God, as you place the seed into the soil of the 
earth. When you place the seed of the flower 



246 



into the soil of the earth your expectations are 
realized in the production of the flower; and when 
you place yourself, by faith, as a seed into the 
heavenly soil or the power of God, your expecta- 
tions will be realized, in it producing for you 
eternal life in Heaven. And, oh ! what a lovely 
realization that will be when developed. When 
we are ushered into the presence of anything 
beautiful, here on earth, we realize its beauty by 
the sight of the eye ; but when we are ushered in- 
to the glories of heaven, we realize its beauty in 
the very nature of our soul. Yes, in our soul we 
feel its loveliness and glory, because the Kingdom 
of Heaven is within us, as well as we being in it, 
and as well as we being part of it ; because we 
have, by faith and the power of God, grown into 
it; and its glories are realized in the feeling or 
nature of the soul as well as to its sight; hence, 
its indescribable joy and glory. Oh ! you souls 
that are dead to holiness here on earth, how can 
you expect to be alive to it when you have left 
your body or habitation of clay. Oh ! as cold as 
you were to holiness here so cold will you then be 
there. Yon must grow into the Kingdom of 



247 



Heaven as the plant grows up out of the soul of 
the earth; it must be accomplished through a 
natural transaction. 

If there are two men together, and one is ill- 
tempered and disagreeable, and the other is good- 
natured and agreeable, you cannot force the ill- 
tempered and disagreeable man to be as the good- 
natured and agreeable man, because nature is nature 
such as it is ; and a* man in his natural condition, 
no matter who he is, is as dead to the nature that 
must exist in a son of God, as that ill-tempered 
and disagreeable man is to the nature of that good 
natured and agreeable man ; therefore, every man 
that wishes to become an heir to Heaven must 
grow into its heirship by inheritance, through 
nature; or must grow, through nature, into the 
nature of a son of God, by the grace and power 
of God, and man doing the portion that God has 
allotted to him to do, to accomplish the transaction; 
which portion, man as a free-will, responsible, 
moral agent must perform to complete that trans- 
action, through nature. 

Those things which David did before he entered 
on the throne of Israel, did not penetrate to the 



248 



heart as it did in the case of Abraham when he 
was commanded to sacrifice his son ; so David was 
naturally as righteous as man could be in the con- 
dition that sin placed man in, but was not yet 
redeemed by the spirit of the Saviour — was yet 
where Adam's disobedience placed him ; so, then, 
when David was elevated to the throne of Israel, 
surrounded with the greatest possible pleasure this 
world could produce to his soul, he fell into its 
possible evil, and afflictions were placed upon him 
for his actions; through his afflictions he repented, 
by bringing to God, as a sacrifice, the possible evil, 
which the highest possible enjoyment of this world, 
which he enjoyed, was possible of — which evil he 
had fallen into ; so his heart was then fully sur- 
rendered to God, and he was then redeemed by the 
spirit of the Saviour; and his Psalms are, as I 
said before, ever a monument to his then purity of 
heart; so you can see the uselessness of trying 
to seek God, without seeking him through the 
Saviour, kneeling spiritually at the foot of His 
cross, repenting and carrying that cross as com- 
manded. So, then, if you have received the 
Saviour spiritually, by regeneration, having His. 



249 



love within your heart, you have conquered every 
possible evil which is possible to every possible 
pleasure this world can produce ; or you have con- 
quered every possible evil that every circle of life 
in this world is possible of; or you have conquered 
every possible evil that the nature of your existence 
is possible of. 

Then no matter in what circle of life you are 
placed in, with its surrounding temptations — 
whether in the hut, in the mansion, or the most 
tempting position this world can place you £n, or 
any accidental temptation that would cross your 
path during life, having the victory over all ; or, 
then, you have through Christ Jesus, by God's 
living grace, the victory over all possible evil that 
the manner or nature of your existence is possible 
of, and then through all eternity enjoy the possible 
bliss of that nature of existence, by having risen 
above its possible evil ; and that is why we will be 
exalted above the angels, being in the image of 
« God, and risen above all possibility of evil or re- 
bellion against God in that image, being then in 
possession of a mind next to God, in power of 
comprehension, and also in our moral excellence. 



250 



Oh ! what liberty will we then possess in roaming 
around and enjoying the wisdom and glory of God 
our Father ; how can the soul expect to put on 
incorruption when it has not conquered the cor- 
ruptible body wherein it at present exists; if the 
soul defiles the lesser would it not also defile the 
greater ; or how can the soul expect to put on the 
pure celestial body, when it has not conquered the 
earthly corruptible body. Whatever soul can by 
the grace of God conquer, or rise above this earthly 
body, will receive a celestial body. Oh, man ! 
rise above that possibility of evil or rebellion, and 
above this earthly corruptible body, through that 
faith which worketh by love, by kneeling at the 
foot of the cross of Jesus, and carrying it through 
life. The Holy Spirit will then administer to you 
according to your necessities ; so you see the whole 
salvation of man centers in the Saviour. God 
gave us a natural pattern in Christ Jesus — what we 
must be to become a son of God ; and we cannot, 
in our strength, work up to that pattern ; so, then, 
if we repent in the spirit of a child, and carry 
His cross, we will be quickened into a spirit such 
as He possessed, and then possess what we could 



251 



not naturally possess; then we will possess that 
which David received and possessed through all 
of his afflictions. Oh ! how thankful we should be 
that salvation is placed so close to our doors. All 
we have to do, no matter in what circle of life we 
move, is to repent and bear the cross, and we are 
saved. How many have already been saved 
through the pure and innocent blood which was 
shed upon the cross for a lost and sinful world. 
Oh ! what will become of those that neglect to 
take advantage of so great a salvation ! Oh ! 
despise it not ! 

Not long since, a scientist said he did not know 
where matter ceases and mind begins. Thank 
God, we know where enmity against God ceases 
and peace begins— which is in Christ Jesus, when 
we are a living branch in Him, producing the 
fruit of Holy love from our heart. 

I know it is impossible for man in his natural con- 
dition, or for carnal nature to love with holy love, 
because what is carnal is carnal, and what is holy is 
holy; or, what is flesh is flesh, and what is spirit is 
spirit ; that is nature, and against nature man can- 
not strive. The Saviour loved with holy love, 



252 



and He is the way — that is His love is the way ; 
and His love we cannot come in possession of un- 
less we are a living branch in Him, being trans- 
formed in the heart, possessing of His loving nature 
or spirit ; and when in possession of this, within 
our nature, causes us, when dying, to die in the na- 
ture of the Saviour, and will then be glorified with 
Him in that nature. A person in his natural con- 
dition is dead to all this nature; so, then, he is 
dead to holiness, and if he is dead to holiness in 
this world he will also be dead to holiness in the 
future world, and therefore dies without hope. 



253 



CHAPTEE LIL 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Every one will be judged with equity, with the 
law existing within them. Every one that died 
in the law existing in Abraham before the new 
dispensation, are judged by that law, which awards 
them eternal life in Heaven ; and all those who 
died outside of that law before the new dispensa- 
tion, are judged by the law existing within them, 
which law is, that which they were spiritually 
placed into, in the Garden of Eden, and will there- 
fore receive the reward or penalty, whatever that 
law or action of disobedience placed on them 
spiritually, which is only necessary for God to 
know and those who can receive it, unless He will 
reveal it to the world. I could tell you definitely, 
but I must not ; for many things have I received, 
spiritually, that the world cannot receive; but I 



254 



can tell you that the unrighteous before the new 
dispensation are not under the same law, nor 
did they stand in the same relation with their 
Maker as the unrighteous and guilty do in the new 
dispensation ; but they could not enter into Heaven 
because they have not the law within them ; they 
are undone as well as the unrighteous and guilty in 
the new dispensation, but not undone in the same 
nature as regards accountability and their disposal. 
All those that have died since the new dispensation 
will be judged with the law existing within them* 
All those that have seen the judgment existing in 
Christ Jesus, to know it within their conscience, 
will be judged by the law existing within them. 
Those that can stand the test of Jesus, having 
received of His spirit, will be judged by the law 
existing within them, which awards them eternal 
life in Heaven ; and those that cannot stand the 
test of Jesus, not having received of His spirit, 
will be judged by the law within them, which 
awards them the resurrection of damnation. So, 
then, all accountable souls that lived in the gen- 
eration that the judgment existing in Christ Jesus 
commenced, knowing of that judgment within 



255 



their conscience, and were not regenerated, then 
their conscience condemned them, would then pass 
unto the resurrection of damnation ; and if regene- 
rated, their conscience justified them, would then 
pass unto the resurrection of eternal life in Heaven. 
And all those that died in that generation, not hav- 
ing seen, to know within their conscience of that 
judgment existing in Christ Jesus, were yet under 
the law and penalty which was placed on man 
spiritually through the law or that action of diso- 
bedience in the Garden of Eden. And so it has 
been throughout every generation since the cruci- 
fixion of the Saviour, and will be so throughout 
every generation until the end of time. Now, all 
that are under that law of condemnation, endeavor 
to get into the law of justification ; so that you 
will be judged, not by the law of condemnation, 
but by the law of justification. Or free yourselves 
by the grace of God through our Lord and Saviour 
Jesus Christ, from that law of condemnation, 
through regeneration. 

By certain laws' man was brought into exist- 
ence ; by certain laws he dies ; by certain laws 
he again lives in Christ Jesus. When he was 



256 



brought into existence he had no part to per- 
form ; it was a natural creation ; but as man fell 
from that order through the disobedience of our 
first parents, to again live in Christ Jesus is to 
be transformed spiritually by a quickening spirit ; 
so we have a portion to perform as a free-will 
responsible, moral agent, which is to assist to philo- 
sophically satisfy our free-will principle, which is 
for us to repent as commanded, and bring forth 
proper fruit to that repentance, so that we can 
receive the love or grace of God into the heart, 
which will cause us to will and to do ; which part 
if we neglect to perform we cannot be quickened, 
because we have not done our part to assist to 
philosophically satisfy our free-will principle, 
which free-will principle, to be philosophically 
satisfied through nature is the point within the 
nature of our spiritual existence upon which our 
government in future depends or hinges, or upon 
which God's governing power depends, and upon 
which the retaining of our image to God depends, 
and upon which spiritual unity depends, and upon 
which our future spiritual liberty and happiness 
depends, or in other words, to have the will philo- 



257 



sophically satisfied means that our will must satisfy 
jthe controlling power of God, and spiritual 
unity, and give us spiritual happiness and pleasure 
under the satisfaction of that spiritual unity and 
governing or controlling power. So then there 
will be unity all around through nature, and what 
nature or God's law has bound will remain bound, 
and this can only be accomplished through nature, 
by repentance, and then the quickening spirit of 
God shed abroad in the heart. So, then, if we 
repent we will be quickened into the spirit of the 
Saviour, and be controlled by nature's laws spirit- 
ually as regards our different laws of passions. 
So, then, to taste of the law itself by which we are 
governed, is bliss, which makes us obey beyond 
doubt, and if that free-will principle is not philo- 
sophically satisfied through nature by no-repent- 
ance and the quickening spirit of God, we cannot 
be controlled and governed in harmony by nature, 
and are therefore a substance of spiritual confusion. 
Therein exists the perfection of God's government^ 
in the ransomed souls — they being in a law pro- 
ducing harmony, unity and spiritual happiness; 
and that is also the reason that it is easier for 



258 



heaven and earth to pass away than one tittle of 
the law to fail. 

When God made a covenant with His Son — 
Christ Jesus — He made it with a being that com- 
plied, existed in and fully revealed the law in the 
flesh, or in His teachings, moral deeds and sacrifices, 
and there is no getting around that witness ; you 
will not have the least ground for an excuse when 
you are condemned ; you have seen the law fully 
revealed in the flesh. The law existed in Abraham 
and the holy prophets, but it was not fully re- 
vealed and manifested to man, in them, as it was 
in Christ Jesus; because Abraham fulfilled his 
part in this great salvation, and so did the holy 
prophets ; and the Saviour performed his portion, 
which was the redemption of this world, and 
making it possible for the world to be judged with 
equity under that redemption. Man, consider ! 
Can you say that you are not judged with equity 
when the Saviour will stand before you on that 
great day. Did you not see Him in the flesh, (if 
not face to face,) in His teachings and moral deeds, 
existing in the New Testament and taught in the 
Church. 



259 



I said that the Saviour's portion was to redeem 
this world, and to make it possible for the world to 
be judged with equity under that redemption. 
Now, let us see how He redeems the world and why 
it is a judgment with equity. 

First, we will look into the natural part. The 
history of His birth, station in life, miracles per- 
formed, and teachings, go to make up part of the 
New Testament. His sufferings, self-denials, sacri- 
fices, trial, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrec- 
tion, go to make up another part of the New 
Testament ; and through that the apostles became 
converted, or spiritually reborn, by seeing this 
truth revealed to them — they having then sufficient 
faith to be reborn ; hence, they became fit instru- 
ments to teach the truth; which teachings go to 
make up another part of the New Testament, So, 
then, the New Testament, or the gospel existing 
therein, became forever the foundation and faith 
of the Church. So, then, if we had not had a 
Saviour we would have had no New Testament 
or its gospel ; hence, no Christian Church, and all 
that have been led to repentance, since His cruci- 
fixion, have been led to it through the New Testa- 



260 



ment, or the Church founded on that Testament or 
gospel, which is the natural portion towards the 
redemption of the world by the Saviour. 

And the spiritual portion is this : After repent- 
ance, and bringing proper fruit to that repentance, 
the Holy Spirit commences to work within our 
spirit and purifies us ; then, as we advance towards 
holiness and read the Saviour's Testament, (it is 
His because He shed His blood for it,) the truths 
existing therein will be more and more manifested 
to us within our own nature. 

Is He, then, not our redeemer spiritually as well 
as naturally ? Has He, then, not become a foun- 
tain for sin, a strength to our faith? So, then, 
when this fountain for sin was opened through the 
Saviour, it also brought with it its judgment. 
That same testament that has led many to eternal 
life also condemns the world of sin wherever it 
goes. So, then, that fountain for sin convicts a 
man in his conscience, of sin, and it justifies him 
in his conscience, from sin j when regenerated, 
justified; and when not regenerated, condemned. 
So, then, that is the judgment existing in that 
fountain, or in Christ Jesus, which is one of 



261 



equity, your conscience as a witness against you if 
not regenerated, and your conscience as a witness 
for you when regenerated. As the Saviour says, 
"And Avhen the Comforter is come He will reprove 
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of 
judgment." Oh! come out from under that law of 
condemnation, into the law of justification through 
regeneration, by repentance, faith, and bearing the 
cross. I need not ask, but I know that every one 
that has not been regenerated, or born of the spirit, 
are condemned, or are under that law of condemna- 
tion. So let each and every one take it right home to 
themselves and act accordingly If your conscience 
justifies you, you are a ransomed soul; and if it 
condemns you, you are in a lost condition. You 
must make this test between life and death ; that is, 
to say to yourself, if death called on me this mo- 
ment, is my lamp full of oil and trimmed, which 
means have I that justified conscience through the 
grace or love of God shed abroad in my heart. 

None need stop to ask, what will become of 
the heathen or of others ? All that have the ad- 
vantage of the gospel of Jesus Christ know what 
law they stand under, and it is their duty to act 



2C2 



accordingly ; every one will be disposed of accord- 
ing to the law they stand under, so we need not 
trouble our judgment and wisdom about what will 
become of those or them. 

All that is contained in this book, concerning 
the salvation of man, has been written through 
the grace of God, in a spirit of love to all — 
in reality and not in imagination — because it 
has been given to me to know and reveal these 
things ; so it is not revealed by the power of man 
or the flesh, but by the grace of God. I ask you 
to receive and look upon it in that nature. I can 
say to-day, with a loving heart and a clear con- 
science, that I am a ransomed soul through the 
£lood of Jesus, which He gave freely to the world 
that we might believe. Through that blood being 
shed for me and you I received sufficient faith to 
be led to the cross and spiritually reborn and justi- 
fied. Oh ! what a lovely spirit dwelled in Jesus 
to do that for me ! How can I repay the debt ? 
I cannot; but He is satisfied with my love. Oh ! 
think of it ! Jesus voluntarily suffered the shame- 
ful death of the cross so that I might love. Oh, 
sweet love ! He suffered the pain and shame^ and 



263 



I have the love instead ! Jesus did not die for us 
to sit down with folded arms, but so that we might 
receive sufficient faith through His death to start 
us up, acting and doing to seek for this salvation 
by coming before our God, His Father, pleading 
in the spirit of a child, which it behooves us to do 
to an offended God, and He will be a loving 
Father to all that will do so. Oh [ what is greater 
than God's love, when it penetrates into our hearts ! 
Oh, think of it! the Creator and controller of this 
mighty universe, to love a mortal so much as his 
love or spirit to penetrate into the mortal's heart ! 



264 



CHAPTER LIII. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

It is not necessary for a person to belong to one 
certain denomination of the Christian church to be 
able to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. A 
person can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 
through any denomination of the Christian church, 
providing they have not their faith centered on 
form and denominationalism ; the essential is to 
have your faith centered in the Saviour, which 
corrects your nature. Is the law not higher than 
all form and discipline? It is not the edifice you 
enter into, or the forms you pass through, or the 
discipline you have adopted and chosen that will 
justify or condemn you in the sight of God. 

The Christian churches are all founded on the 
Gospel of Jesus Christ, acknowledging within 
their creed as that which is essential to salvation, 



265 



a belief in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
and the administering of the sacraments of Baptism 
and the Lord's Supper; but all this wants to be ad- 
mitted in our nature as well as by the church, which 
we know how to admit when we are reborn. The 
form and discipline is not an essential part to salva- 
tion ; therefore, no man can judge and say that his 
adopted form is exclusively correct above all others 
for salvation; if it was a saving part then it would 
be different, or if the Saviour had adopted a cer- 
tain form and discipline. But all the form He 
ever adopted was this : Commanding His disciples 
to teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of 
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; 
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever He 
had commanded them , and at another time He 
commanded the celebration of the last Supper. 
Does not all Christian churches do this ? 

There are many denominations of the Christian 
church, but there is only one invisible, true church, 
and the membership of that church is composed of 
all the Christians in spirit and in truth, in all the 
different denominations of the visible church, or 
being those that are born into the spiritual church, 



266 



tof which Christ is spiritually the head. He is the 
door to that church, and no one is admitted into 
that church unless his name is written in the Book 
of Life. It is essentially necessary that all should 
belong to and support the church, if nature has so 
placed them that it is possible, because she is an in- 
strument for leading souls to salvation; and for 
that purpose the church was established, and also 
to contain the truths of God and their perpetuity ; 
30, it is not necessary to dwell on this point. 

But I have been asked if a person cannot be as 
good a Christian out of the church as in the church. 
1 say he cannot; because as a Christian he will 
naturally seek the society and fellowship of Chris- 
Hans — as one of Christ's flock he will naturally 
seek Christ's fold, which is the church. Of course, 
lue compared himself as usual with the church 
members who are professors but not possessors of 
Christ's love. But a man has no just grounds for 
condemning the Church and her faithful mem- 
bership on account of those who are unfaithful 
:and bring forth no good fruit. Nor will he be 
justified by their actions, in the day of judgment, 



267 



by the course he is pursuing. Every one must 
answer for himself. 

The Saviour, before his crucifixion and resurree^ 
tion, had a Judas Iscariot among his disciples, and 
why should there not be unfaithful members Ik 
the church now. But what a pure church it was 
shortly after his resurrection ; but then again im- 
purities entered in, and how can it be otherwise as- 
long as form does not purify hearts. When a per- 
son does not connect himself with the church he 
does not assist in the perpetuity of the sacraments 
of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, which we must 
receive in faith and must participate in for the sake 
of their commemoration and perpetuation; and if 
a person neglected these duties would they not 
neglect a great duty, not only to themselves but to 
the generations to follow ; and if all followed his; 
example these sacraments and the church would 
soon become extinct, and he would be one amorrg- 
the rest producing this effect. Then he would 
surely not be with the Saviour ; and whoever is 
not with Him is against Him. 

The person that supports everything in spirit 
and in truth, providing means permit, that has 



268 



the remotest tendency of doing good, or leading 
souls to salvation, assisting Christ's kingdom, is 
the better Christian ; and if not having means to per- 
mit he can support it spiritually. Which is better 
for himself, then, if he supports it with means and 
not in spirit ? Does not our Lord and Saviour say, 
"Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound 
in heaven;" and the church is used to bind up that 
which Satan is unloosing, or the wounds he is con- 
tinually creating; and when you are supporting 
this process of binding up the wounds, in spirit 
and in truth, you are continually binding up the 
wounds existing in your own heart and nature ; 
and what is bound in your heart and nature is 
bound, and will remain bound, and continue to 
bind, and will be bound in Heaven, if belonging to 
that nature ; and what you bind through form, and 
not in your heart, has a tendency to loosen ; there- 
fore, nothing will be bound for you in Heaven, 
even if you have supported and belonged to the 
visible church. 

It is very plain to be seen that a person cannot 
be as good a Christian out of the church as in it. 
A true Christian not only looks to his own soul's 



269 



salvation, but he looks further, he looks to what 
assistance he can render to the souls of others; his 
soul does not want to be away by itself, but it will 
naturally reach away into the visible church and 
see what good it can accomplish there. 

And the Sunday school, the nursery of the 
church, is a mighty power in this very land to 
assist Christ's kingdom and to keep back the pow- 
ers of darkness. Those little minds and hearts 
are filled, not with superstition and prejudice, but 
with the knowledge of truth, the Word of God ;. 
and those schools are also blessed with many 
teachers who are walking in the light of God ; and 
every lover of freedom and of the souls of others 
should put their shoulder to that wheel. So,, 
then, if a man was not supporting the church he 
would also not be supporting the Sunday school 
which is part of the church and does so much 
good. How could a man, then, be as good a 
Christian away from the church as with it, when 
the church and Sunday school would become ex- 
tinct if they all pursued his course. Yes, what 
precious jewels would then be lost to freedom, the 
world, humanity, and to the souls of men. 



270 



If it is possible for a man to connect himself 
with the church and he does not do so, no matter 
what he has done in his own way to satisfy the 
demands of God, his heart is not in harmony with 
the will of God, because when it is in harmony 
with the will of God, it will be as natural for him 
to be in the church as it is natural for water to 
run down hill ; every one must put their shoulder 
to the wheel. 

Borne men are born with natural virtues, having 
good moral qualities about them, and then think 
they do not require the church, or the redeeming 
spirit of the Saviour; but they are in the same 
condition with all the rest of mankind, where 
Adam's disobedience placed them — in enmity, by 
mature, to the controlling law of God, which con- 
trols a son of God in Heaven, which law must be 
developed within the nature of man, while in the 
flesh; then, after entering into Heaven will be 
feought to the very height of its development and 
perfection ; and I can, in truth say, that if nature 
lias so placed man that it is possible for him to 
■^connect himself with a church, and he does not do 
so, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ; 



271 



the very fact of his being right in nature, to enter 
into the Kingdom of Heaven, would lead him into 
the visible church, in spite of himself, because his 
nature would lead him there; and his not being 
right in nature, to enter into the Kingdom of 
Heaven, keeps him out of the visible church, ask- 
ing the question : " Cannot a man be as good a 
Christian out of the church as in it ? " Nature 
cannot lie; it is just such as it is and nothing else 
in all cases. 

As I said before, the Saviour did not speak of 
any forms or discipline for the church, but told 
His Apostles to teach all nations, baptizing them 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe 
all things whatsoever He had commanded them. 
So no one can say the Saviour established such or 
such a form and discipline for the church; and you 
are not saved because you have not His adopted 
form and discipline, which would also cause the 
secondary to take the place of the essential, and 
which also left room for reform when the church 
would step outside of its nature or calling ; because 
holy jewels in the hands of unconverted men are 



272 



possible to be misused ; therefore, there is a Heaven 
where nothing but holiness in nature is admitted, 
and where holy jewels will not be misused; and as 
every denomination has its unfaithful members, so 
none can say that their denomination is exclusively 
the correct one for salvation ; it is exclusively the 
right one for those that belong to it if they prefer 
it, and their conscience testifying with them that 
it is the right form — the form and discipline be- 
ing secondary to salvation ; and when a person is 
right in the essential, which is- the heart, the 
secondary cannot dethrone the essential. Then let 
us not condemn each other in the essential by the 
secondary, as the secondary or form is a matter be- 
longing to the mind, and what the mind lacks or 
errs in this case will be added to it in eternity, and 
what the heart lacks it will lack eternally ; so let us 
in spirit and in truth take each other by the hand, 
journeying on the road to that far off country. 
Yes, the Saviour did not give His life for the sake 
of forms and discipline. His life was altogether 
too precious for that, but He gave it for the sake 
of nature — for the sake of that nature that is 
placed into the heart when changed. Each de- 



273 



nomination can perform its part in this salvation ; 
they all exist for a wise purpose, and have pre- 
vented the secondary from entirely taking the 
place of the essential, or the mind and unconverted 
heart from ruling over and dictating to the con- 
verted heart, and also caused, so that those who 
wished to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 
might not be prevented ; and we should say, 
" Blessed are all denominations that are earnestly 
laboring for the salvation of souls." St. Luke, 9: 
49-50. — "And John answered and said, Master, 
we saw one casting out devils in thy name ; and 
we forbade him, because he followeth not with us. 
And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he 
that is not against us is for us." 

There are churches that have more grace within 
them than others, or more of the true Christian 
spirit, or spirit of truth, and are therefore more 
successful in laboring for Christ's kingdom ; and 
even some congregations have more grace than 
others of the same denomination, and the nicest 
church I was ever in was where there was lots of 
grace. Oh ! endeavor to get into possession of 
that prayer which is praying without ceasing, 



274 



which is sending thanks to the throne of God 
by messengers of love, and is the fulfilling of 
the law. 

Through a spirit of love and the grace of God 
I earnestly appeal to all members of the Christian 
churches, who have not experienced this religion 
as a reality within their nature, by love, and its 
growth onward towards more and more perfection, 
with a justified conscience through the love or 
grace of God in your heart, that you are in a lost 
condition no matter in what church you have taken 
up your abode; and the spirit earnestly prays for 
all that have not experienced this within their 
nature, to earnestly repent and seek for the way 
until they experience this within their nature, and 
also prays to all outside of the church to come in 
and do the same, which spirit is the spirit of truth; 
indeed that is the only way that leads into the 
church triumphant, or brings into development the 
possible kingdom of Heaven within you. 

Let us not only elevate God in the imagination 
but let us also elevate God in our hearts ; yes, let 
us cease saying we have no merit within ourselves, 
for we have since Jesus gave His life for us. God 



275 



has told us our duty in plain words through His 
Son Christ Jesus, or in His holy word, which if we 
strive to fulfill to the best of our knowledge, is all 
that God asks or expects of us ; and as soon as we 
do this we merit something, which is grace or the 
love of God for having done our best in the con- 
dition sin placed us in ; and when you strive to 
fulfill the requirements of God you must not en- 
deavor to do it in your own strength, through im- 
agination, by clipping off a branch of sin here, and 
another there, but strike down at the root, by a 
rending or pouring out of your heart before God 
in a true repentance, and then bring forth fruit 
worthy to that repentance, as a sacrifice; then you 
have fulfilled the requirements of God ; then you 
are in a position of merit ; then you have elevated 
God in your heart which is a greater elevation than 
an imaginary one ; then you will also be elevated 
in your being by God's graee or love correcting 
you spiritually ; will then be growing up in that 
grace like a tender plant; be receiving faith 
worked by love, w T hich is the true manna of 
Heaven, the nourishment of the soul, and the true 
motive power of a Christian, which grace or love 



276 



washes out completely the carnal nature within our 
heart and makes it pure — makes our heart capable 
of loving in purity. I cannot convey this grace, 
or true manna of Heaven, to the heart of man, to 
let him taste of it, but God can and will to all who 
earnestly come unto Him ; and what is it but the 
law written in the heart of man — the complete 
dethronement of Satan's kingdom within us, and 
the erection of God's kingdom instead, which is an 
incorruptible and indestructible kingdom. And 
oh ! what a beautiful change it is ; for Satan's 
kingdom is a hard yoke to bear, but God's king- 
dom is bliss. Why should I not know when I 
have tasted of both, and how much lovelier that 
kingdom will be when we have put off mortality 
and put on immortality. 

Let us no longer place God's ways on a level 
with man's ways. Yes, God is merciful, but He 
is also just. He looks first to the law and sees it 
satisfied ; hence, good consequences in government. 
Man is merciful but not just ; he looks first to the 
being and disrespects the law; hence, evil conse- 
quences in government. 

This world, with all its civilization, — what is it 



277 



along side of that great moral truth which existed 
in Christ Jesus ? And for that truth's sake the 
world exists to-day ; and if it was not for that 
truth's sake this world would not exist for a mo- 
ment ; and every soul that possesses that truth 
within it is more valuable in the sight of Heaven 
than this whole world, and an existence for it in- 
describable for its glory and bliss; because the 
Kingdom of Heaven exists within the soul, as well 
as the soul being in it ; and as soon as holy love 
controls every law in your moral and spiritual ex- 
istence, your soul possesses that truth, which is 
your diploma that you have conquered, through 
the living grace of God, every possible evil exist- 
ing in the nature of your moral and spiritual 
existence. Oh ! what spiritual liberty will you 
then possess from God your Father, having free 
access to all His holy j ewels. 



278 



CHAPTER LIV. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

There is a diversity of natural talent as well as 
spiritual gifts; that is the reason you will find some 
men that are great orators ; others, great poets ; 
others, great lawyers ; others, great in the sciences; 
others, great statesmen ; others, eminent in the 
literary field ; others, proficient in the different 
arts ; but it is the same God gives all. 

The human family can be compared, in some 
respects, to the flowers of the earth, because each 
flower has the possibility, within itself, to produce 
for itself a certain color ; but it must first have the 
rays of that great luminary, the sun, to bring that 
possibility into development, or to bring it out 
upon its leaf. Oh ! what an immense mine of 
wealth lies hidden behind that natural talent, which 
I have enumerated, in possibilities to labor in the 



279 



field of eternity to bring souls to Jesus ; but it 
must first have the rays of that great spiritual 
luminary, the light and life existing in theSon of 
God, shed abroad in the heart, before those possi- 
bilities will be developed or brought out. Every 
man and woman has the possibility of the King- 
dom of Heaven within them, but they must first 
have that great spiritual luminary the light and 
life of the Son of God, shed abroad in the heart to 
bring it into development. Oh ! do not shut out 
that Son ! Open your heart and let that light pene- 
trate into it, so that the celestial seed, lying there 
dormant, can germinate, spring up, and develop, 
until it will reach the very heavens. Then all you 
have to do to meet the Saviour, saints and angels, 
is to pass through the law of death in the flesh, 
and turn around with a smile, and say, Oh ! grave, 
where is thy victory ! Oh ! death, where is thy 
sting ! 

You did not then bury your possibilities or tal- 
ents in the ground, but you had them put out to the 
money-changers, and brought them to God with 
an increase. You will then have been a good and 
faithful servant, and will therefore enter into the 



280 



joy of thy Lord. Yes, sweep away the perishable 
things of time, piled up in front of the doors of 
your hearts; unlock them with your will and 
throw them wide open. Oh ! then you will sup 
with Jesus, and find it the most lovely cup you 
ever supped out of. Oh ! you will then be jour- 
neying, step by step, on the road leading to eternal 
life. 

We must go through a course of nature in this 
new birth, the same as things in material nature 
must go through a process of nature to become in - 
to a certain element or nature. We should say, 
Glory to God in the highest! because this can be 
done with a rational being, possessing mind and 
the principle of free-will, — transformed, through 
nature, from a son of man to a son of God. All 
we have to do is to open our hearts so that the life 
and light of the Son of God can be shed abroad 
therein so that possibility, or celestial seed, lying 
there dormant, can germinate and develop. 

How interestingly and deep the astronomer 
delves and penetrates into the hidden mysteries 
of the planetary system. How interestingly the 
chemist penetrates and delves into his chosen 



281 



science ; and £0 it is in all sciences, each striving 
for more light in their chosen branch, which is 
good, and assists to communicate to the world 
spiritual truths ; but how many moments are 
spent, with as much willingness and interest, at 
the foot of the cross cf Jesus to receive that ray of 
light into the heart, so that the celestial seed can 
germinate and develop, and place the soul at death 
into everlasting joy and rest, far beyond where the 
astronomer has yet been able to penetrate into the 
planetary systems. 

Think of that night when Jesus was in the 
Garden of Gethsemane, praying to God, with 
drops of blood flowing from his brow, in an ago* 
nizing struggle with the powers of darkness. Oh ! 
what a tender soul and spirit lie hidden there under 
that agony ! Oh ! was it not a soul and spirit 
that was altogether lovely! Oh! was it not too 
lovely to be destroyed. Yes, God said so ; there- 
fore, He was glorified. When God says so it is so; 
His word is Spirit. When Jesus suffered in that 
manner for me, and when God said He is so lovely, 
He must be glorified. Shall I, then, a mortal man 
be ashamed to own Him. Whoever does not deny 



282 



themselves and follow Him, are ashamed of Him. 
You need not quit your avocations if it does not 
compromise His kingdom, unless so inclined or 
called by God ; nor do you need to sacrifice your t 
wealth to become one of His followers ; but Jesus 
wants your moral influence, whatever it is, thrown 
into the balance for Him, to assist souls to come to 
Him — yes, in that station of life wherever nature 
has placed you, which would be a powerful influ- 
ence; but before we can do that properly we must 
have that charity which St. Paul referred to, when 
lie said, " And though I have all faith, so that I 
could remove mountains, and have not charity, I 
am nothing." That charity is the motive power to 
a Christian ; and this charity can only be obtained 
by humbling ourselves as did the Saviour. He 
says, " Without me ye can do nothing." That 
is, without possessing within our nature of His 
spirit, nature or love, which God the Father will 
develop within our nature when we deserve it, by 
repenting in a child-like spirit and an earnest en- 
deavor for a closer walk with God ; there is the 
mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Son of 
God, as man, possessed a certain nature ; but what 



283 



kind of a nature. Why, the New Testament in- 
forms us what kind of a nature he possessed, — by 
His teachings and moral deeds — which was a na- 
ture of love and a spirit in harmony with the will 
of God. So He is the way, but how is He the 
way. Why, His nature. So, then, when we pos- 
sess such a nature as He possessed we are in the 
way to Heaven ; but how can we come into pos- 
session of such a nature ? Never, if we endeavor 
to obtain it in our own way ; but if we go to God, 
the creator of nature, in the proper spirit, He will 
develop that nature within us ; then we can love as 
the Saviour loved, which is a love more valuable 
than gold, and unknown to a mortal until tasted, 
and which causes it to be very easy for us to labor 
in God's vineyard. 

Oh! yes, that charity is the love of God shed 
abroad in our heart — the element that passes us 
through this new birth. 

1 Oh ! this charity ; it is that which makes it so 
easy for us to labor for the Saviour's kingdom. 

Oh ! it is that which causes us so easy to look 
over the natural faults of others. 

Oh ! it is that which keeps a person from talk- 



284 



ing about his neighbor, on matters which nature 
placed them in. 

Oh ! it is that which gives you the smile of 
truth. 

Oh ! it is that which is greater than all restrictions 
placed in society for its protection. 

Oh ! it is that which would protect when locks 
and bars would yield. 

Oh ! it is that which is greater than all natural 
restraints existing in a human being. 

Oh ! it is that which will manifest to you, with- 
in your nature, that religion is a reality. 

Oh ! it is that which takes your thoughts and 
affections from unnecessary and perishable things 
of time and places them on things eternal. 

Oh ! it is that which makes morally the perfect 
man and woman. 

Oh ! it is that which will cause you to love in 
truth. 

Oh ! it is that which leads you to church by the 
cords of love. 

Oh ! it is that which protects you against all the 
darts of Satan, 



285 

Oh ! it is that which will cause domestic happi- 
ness. 

Oh ! it is that which will cause you to weep and 
rejoice with your neighbor. 

Oh ! it is that which will win the younger little 
hearts and minds for Jesus. 

Oh ! it is that which will cause volumes of love 
to flow from your heart to God. 

Oh ! it is that which makes Satan quake and 
tremble. 

Oh ! it is that which will cause you to know 
more perfectly the nature your Saviour possessed. 
Yes, His loveliness. 

Oh ! it is that which will cause you to read the 
hearts of the apostles, by their writings and moral 
deeds ; and cause you to know that nothing but 
truth and Jehovah could mould into being such a 
spirit and heart as they possessed. 

Oh ! it is that which held the apostles to their 
work after their Saviour's absence. 

Oh ! it is that which the powers of hell could 
then not move. 

Oh ! it is that which lights you through the dark 
valley of death. 



286 



Oh ! it is that which won respect for the church 
in the days of the apostles. 

Oh ! it is that which robs death of its sting. 

Oh ! it is that which requires no paint to make 
it beautiful. 

Oh ! it is that which is a balm to every wounded 
heart. 

Oh ! it is that which robs the grave of its 
victory. 

Oh ! it is that which carries with it its natural 
beauty. 

Oh ! it is that which worketh faith by love. 

Oh ! it is that which feeds the soul on the true 
manna of Heaven. 

Oh ! it is that which will give you a free pass 
into the marriage feast of the lamb. 

Oh ! it is that which places your talents received 
out to the money-changers. 

Oh ! it is that which truth and the assistance of 
Almighty God can only develop within the nature 
of man. 

Oh ! it is that which fondles the soul as a child. 

Oh ! it is that which is the wedding garment. 

Oh ! it is that which is the oil of your lamps. 



287 



Oh ! it is that which will have them ready and 
trimmed at the coming of the Saviour ! 

Oh ! it is that which causes the celestial seed 
lying dormant within you, to germinate and 
develop. 

Oh ! it is that which causes you to know the 
Shepherd's voice. 

Oh ! it is that which makes you one of His 
fold. 

Oh ! it is that which is the key to Heaven. 

Oh ! it is that which causes you to see the world 
in its true light. 

Oh ! it is that which is the door to Christ's fold. 

Oh ! it is that which releases the soul from the 
slavery of sin. 

Oh ! it is that which opens your eyes spiritually. 

Oh ! it is that which comforts you in your re- 
verses. 

Oh ! it is that which will glorify you. 

Oh ! it is that which is the way. 

Oh ! it is that which causes you to look at the 
w r orld, not through the flesh, but through the law. 

Oh ! it is that which is the life. 

Oh ! it is that which will bring out a hidden 



288 



character and nature within you, that will astonish 
you, when developed, for its beauty. 

Oh ! it is that which gives you heavenly wisdom. 

Oh ! it is that which makes your soul valuable 
and precious in the sight of God. 

Oh ! it is that which makes angels smile upon 
you. 

Oh ! it is that which makes you have your 
lamps filled and trimmed, ready to go into the 
marriage feast of the lamb. 

Oh ! it is that which elevates you to Heaven's 
glory. 

Oh ! it is that which filters your soul of all its 
impurities. 

Oh ! it is that which is as high as the heavens. 

Oh ! it is that which makes you dead to the 
world and alive to God. 

Oh ! it is that which is more valuable than gold. 

Oh! it is that which keeps you firm in the 
Saviour's hands. 

Oh! it is that which is more valuable than a 
kingdom. 

Oh ! it is that which knows no self-righteous- 
ness. 



289 



Oh ! it is that which makes you righteous by the 
law. 

. Oh ! it is that which makes you know that you 
are a redeemed son. 

Oh ! it is that which is the Saviour's spirit testi- 
fying to your spirit that you are one cf His. 

Oh ! it is that which gives you free access to all 
that Heaven can afford. 

Oh ! it is that which is the Book of Life. 

Oh ! it is that which makes you altogether lovely. 

Oh ! it is that which makes your soul too pre- 
cious and lovely to be destroyed. 

Oh ! it is that which writes your name into the 
Book of Life. 

Oh ! it is that which Heaven rejoices over. 

Oh ! it is that which will glorify you. 

Oh ! it is that which makes you fit for the soci- 
ety of angels. 

Oh ! it is that which makes you able to see God. 

Oh ! it is that which is incorruptible, inde- 
structible and incomprehensible to the human heart 
and mind until tasted. 

Oh ! it is all in all, for it is the law — it is of the 
spirit of Jesus. 



290 



CHAPTER LV. 



TRUTHS AND MYSTERIES OF ZION. 

Before I seriously considered over my lost condi- 
tion, I was a believer with assenting faith that 
there is a God — a Saviour — because it was gener- 
ally conceded, reasonable, custom, a matter of 
course, giving it little notice, (at least I can say so 
now,) having my heart filled with worldly things 
and self-will, relying on my own understanding 
and wisdom, not knowing anything of that saving 
faith, which worketh by love, or of that true 
manna of Heaven. Oh! icy coldness, that I was 
then in. Oh ! in what spiritual darkness, I then 
dwelled ; and when I commenced to consider the 
matter seriously, then I was a doubter — then I 
began to doubt — the evil spirit commencing its 
work, struggling hard for victory. As long as I 
remained quiet, in my icy coldness, that evil spirit 



291 



remained quiet within. And why not? It had 
the victory. But when I commenced to consider the 
matter seriously then the battle commenced, and it 
was a hard struggle ; but I was a child faithfully 
kneeling at the foot of the cross of Jesus, seeking 
and praying for light, and bringing fruit as a sacri- 
fice to my God ; and I had administered to me 
according to my wants and necessities ; light and 
the spirit of God, working within me, bringing me 
out of this carnal prison-house into the nature of 
holiness, causing my soul to realize within its 
nature that I have a God — a Father in Heaven 
who cares for my soul ; and I bless God for the gift 
of His grace in the atoning blood of His only Son, 
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which made for 
me the victory possible. Oh ! carnal natured and 
worldly minded, go to God to be delivered out of 
this prison-house; for who can deliver but God? 

My Christian Friends, let us with loving kind- 
ness labor for the Saviour's kingdom — all for His 
glory — for He could have spared Himself from 
drinking of that bitter cup, which He drank for 
us and a lost world; yes, so that even those -who, 
condemned Him, and nailed Him on the cross, 



292 



and pierced Him, might have been saved if they 
had sought salvation through Him. Oh! what 
love! But thou art incorruptible, indestructible, 
and incomprehensible to the human mind and heart 
until tasted, and is the hidden love of Heaven, such 
as we must all possess, if we wish to enter therein. 
Yes, the Saviour gave His life as a ransom for 
many. Oh ! what will become of those that de- 
spise such a love. Yes, the Saviour let Satan have 
full sway of persecution, even unto to death, re- 
gardless of the opinions of the worldly-minded 
around Him at the time. By our Lord and 
Saviour letting Satan have his full sway of perse- 
cution He became a light to light us through the 
darkness and sin of this world into the calm harbor 
of safety, if we will only follow that light. I have 
followed it, and it has lead me to springs of living 
water ; and as it has led me to springs of living 
water, so will it lead me to eternal rest, joy and 
bliss. I could depart this life any moment with- 
out fearing to meet my Saviour. Yes, in love 
could I meet Him ; and this is not a justification of 
my own, but old things in my heart and nature 
having passed away and new things taken their 



293 



place ; the same conscience, that once condemned 
me in spite of myself, now justifies me in spite of 
myself, or the same law, existing within me, that 
once condemned me now justifies me. So my 
spiritual nature is completely changed within me; 
and for that truth and nature's sake Jesus gave 
His life as a ransom, and all that will seek Him 
earnestly will find it. 

So, then, when you come before your God in a 
true repentance, a child-like spirit, and take up, 
and bear the Saviour's cross, and follow Him, you 
then come unto Him. Then that same power that 
made the lame walk, the blind see, and raised the 
dead, will also correct your spiritual nature and 
cause you to rise out of this spiritual death to holi- 
ness, and make you alive to the other world of 
eternal life, where all is purity through love or the 
spirit of God. 

These words of our Lord and Saviour you will 
find recorded in the 25th verse of the 11th chapter 
of the Gospel according to St. John : " Jesus said 
unto her, I am the resurrection, and .the life : he 
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet 
shall he live." Every man, in his natural condi- 



294 



tion, is spiritually dead to holiness ; and if they 
have the true faith in the Saviour they shall be 
made alive to holiness, and shall live ; but it must 
be a faith that worketh by love, before this is 
accomplished. So the Saviour's spiritual nature 
is the resurrection and the life, and when we pos- 
sess such a nature we have a part in the resurrec- 
tion from this spiritual death to holiness. 

In the 26th verse of the same chapter these 
words of our Lord are recorded : "And whosoever 
liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Be- 
lie vest thou this/ 7 So, then, when we have, 
through this faith, come into possession of such a 
nature as the Saviour possessed, we are alive to 
holiness, and are believers, and then shall never 
die ; or we have then received eternal life. 

Our Lord and Saviour also says : " I am the 
way, the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto 
the Father but by me." That means that we must 
come into possession of a spiritual nature such as 
He possessed; then we are in the way, the truth, 
and the life, and if we go to God in the true spirit 
He will develop that nature within us, then we will 



295 



be able to see God our Heavenly Father when we 
depart this life. 

This salvation of man is an important matter to 
look into. Oh ! look into it with interest. As the 
Saviour had to go down into the grave to bring in- 
to existence the New Testament, so as to bring us 
to God, must also the Holy Spirit go down to the 
very bottom or foundation of our existence, and 
not only remove all evil, but all possible evil ex- 
isting in the nature of our moral and spiritual ex- 
istence, before we can see the Kingdom of God. 
If man would only place himself under the tutor- 
ship of the Holy Spirit, and take half as much 
interest in working out his soul's salvation as is 
taken in the sciences and all branches of learning, 
many souls would be saved. There exists just as 
much science in the holy word of God, concerning 
the spiritual world, as there exists in any branch 
in the natural world, because God's holy word is 
founded on spiritual nature : that is to say, it is the 
effects of the spiritual nature ; and the Holy Spirit 
must be accepted as our tutor to lead us into those 
great truths, because it is as unnatural for man, in 
his carnal condition, to understand and compre- 



296 



hend them as it is for a child to understand and 
comprehend the letters when first commencing to 
learn them. 

We hear some men say I do not believe that 
God would be so severe, because He is supposed 
to be a God of love. Yes, He is a God of love ; 
and, Oh ! how pure is His love. I was going to 
compare it to a mother's love, but it would be, 
altogether debased to do so, but it is the nearest 
comparison that can be found on earth, Oh ! yes, 
why should I not know its loveliness, when I have 
realized it within my soul until the tears flowed down 
my cheeks ; and were they tears of guilt, or tears of 
sorrow, or tears of joy ? No; but the sweet and 
precious tears of love ; and my soul was then re- 
ceiving nourishment from the bread of Heaven. 
And, Oh ! how is that love — that nourishment for 
the soul — often despised. That love is so pure 
that if man would not reject it, it would penetrate 
all through his spiritual existence; but if man will 
not come to God to receive His love, what else can 
he expect but his reward for disobedience, whatever 
God's law will place upon him. How can he ever 
expect to come into the presence of a holy God, in 



297 



that condition. He would have to be controlled 
there by enacted laws, as well as here, if he left 
this world in that condition, or with laws some- 
thing similar ; and God's kingdom is not controlled 
! by enacted laws or anything similar in nature to it, 
but by laws of nature — mutual love — making each 
a government within themselves, which is an in- 
corruptible and indestructible government and one 
that is as pure as pure can be, and altogether lovely 
for all that have a part in it. Why, that man 
would be altogether out of place in such a king- 
dom as that, because his nature would be as carnal 
there as here, and as dead to holiness and purity 
there as he is here. Yes, that government, through 
mutual love, is as firmly established as the planets 
are in space, because the Kingdom of Heaven is as 
firmly implanted into the existence of the soul, 
through natures laws, or God's laws, as our thoughts 
are implanted therein ; that love is part of our soul 
and being, therefore everything is natural about it, 
<and therefore it is real, and therefore it is very 
natural and easy to love in that manner. Can 
there be life put into an artificial flower? No; nor 
can any soul possess this love unless they grow into 



298 



it through nature, or God's laws, as he has estab- 
lished through Christ Jesus, therefore every one 
must grow through nature into the Kingdom of 
Heaven, if they wish to be an heir to it. 

Then some men say that God knows the course 
of every individual's life from the foundation of 
the world ; nothing exists until it is brought into 
existence ; God is not the God of that which does not 
exist but of that which exists; but if holy jewels are 
placed into the hands of man, God knows the effects 
it will produce. If there was a little less of this 
imaginary elevation of God and a little more of an 
elevation through the heart it would be better, and 
He could then, also, be found. God can never be 
found through the imagination of the mind, but 
must be found through the mind, heart, and Holy 
Spirit combined. God created man in His image, 
and in that image man was depraved through the 
fall, and in his depraved condition he can form no 
conception whatever of the divine character and 
nature; but as we are created in the image of God 
we must, through that image or our own nature, 
find out the divine character and nature, and the 
closer and closer we are drawn to God, within our 



299 



nature, the more we find out of the divine nature. 
Yes, we must taste that glory within our nature 
and then we know what it is. If you had never 
tasted any sugar, and I told you it was sweet, you 
would not know how sweet it was, but if you tasted 
it you would realize its sweetness in your nature ; 
and so is it with this great truth which existed in 
Christ Jesus, we must taste of it, within our nature, 
before we know anything about it. Yes, if you 
want to form any correct idea or conception of the 
divine character, and nature, you must taste of it 
within your own nature, by a close walk with 
God through your nature, not in form. 

As I said before, the Saviour had to go down 
into the grave to open a way for us to Heaven. 
How can man, then, ever expect to find favor in 
the sight of Almighty God if they carelessly pass 
through this life, only complying with the moral 
law, depending on their own strength or formali- 
ties, and disrespecting that sacrifice of the Saviour. 
Was there not a mighty principle concerned in it, 
when the Saviour had to go down into the very 
grave to satisfy it Yes, a principle that is as 
deep as man's very existence, and as high as the 



300 



Heavens. And all those that do not come unto 
Him will have to be told, on the last day, if you 
had come unto Him that principle existing in the 
nature of your existence would have been satisfied 
for which He died ; but now it is too late, and will 
be an unsatisfied principle throughout all eternity. 
Oh ! do not treat the Saviour's sacrifice any longer 
as though it was nothing but to satisfy & formality; 
looking at it with folded arms, treating it as though 
it was nothing but an empty form. Oh! how can you 
ever expect to find favor in the sight of Almighty 
God for doing so, even if you are ever so good in 
your own sight; for the principle for which the 
Saviour died, existing within your nature of exist- 
ence, is not satisfied according to God's law, and 
all the supplications and pleadings that can be 
made will not be listened to in eternity. You will 
have to be rejected, not for the principle of treating 
the Saviour's blood with contempt, but for the sake 
of the law — that principle existing within the na- 
ture of your existence being unsatisfied for all 
eternity ; if it was only for treating the Saviour's 
blood with contempt, you might be forgiven on 
mercy ; but God's law, concerned in creation, or 



301 



in your nature, is at stake, and not one tittle of the 
law can fail. In material nature, must not the 
seed of the flower pass through certain laws to pro- 
duce the flower? So must we, as a son of man, 
pass through certain laws in spiritual nature with- 
in our spiritual existence, for to become into the 
being of the son of God ; and if you have pre- 
vented yourself from passing through those laws 
by the exercise of your free will you can never ex- 
pect to receive that which the laws in your spiritual 
existence deny you from having. 

When man is < spiritually reborn his soul blends 
with the souls of the holy apostles; but how do 
I know? Why, if we read the epistles of the 
apostles, we have the apostle's soul and heart before 
us spiritually dissected, and we feel the unity exist- 
ing between our spirit and the nature existing 
within those epistles which nature is a type of their 
spirit. And how was such a nature moulded into 
being within our soul ? Why, by truth — by true 
faith and the Holy Spirit. And true faith in God 
and the Holy Spirit is the only spiritual element 
under the Heavens that can mould into being a 
soul possessing such a nature. So, then, if it 



302 



required true faith in God and the Holy Spirit to 
mould such a soul into being, within our existence, 
it must have also required true faith in God and 
the Holy Spirit to mould into being such a soul or 
spirit as the holy apostles did possess ; so, then, the 
Saviour 's resurrection must be as true as the sun 
shines in the firmament, because if not they would 
have been deceivers, and therefore not possessed 
of true faith and the advantage of the Holy 
Spirit, and therefore their souls would have been 
as dead to holiness as all carnal nature is and we 
would then have had no holy epistles at all. Oh ! 
nature what a grand witness thou art to this great 
truth. Oh ! God ! I bless Thee for giving to man 
such a great and clear witness of this great truth ; 
yes, those epistles were not drawn from the foun- 
tain of deception and hell, but from the inex- 
haustible fountain of truth and holiness emanating 
from the power of Almighty God. Oh! who will 
say that it was deception and carnal nature that 
brought into existence the contents of the New 
Testament, perfumed with such holy incense. No, 
nothing but truth, holiness, and the assistance of 
Almighty God could accomplish it ; and when it is 



303 



so truthful why not act accordingly. None should 
get deranged as some already have been in endeav- 
oring to obtain this salvation ; for God is very 
close ; the most humble of us can find Him very 
easy if we seek Him in the proper spirit. He is 
no respecter of persons. All we have to do is to 
bring to God our sacrifices of the heart with a 
sincerity and earnestness ; and when through with 
the daily toil, take up God's holy word, and if you 
are in earnest, showing your sincerity in sacrifices 
of the heart, you will then have the advantage of 
the Holy Spirit to lead you into those great truths. 
Making sacrifices of the heart (not those that you 
do not care much about, but your most darling, 
worldly desires, which conflicts with holiness) is 
the only foundation to start on to obtain this great 
truth ; and no one has ever obtained it unless they 
started on that foundation. There is too much of 
the gratification of the flesh pamled off on to the 
merits of the Saviour — excusing themselves by 
saying, "Oh, we are weak and frail humanity; we 
have no merit within ourselves ?; ; the Saviour must 
bear all and do all. That is a very good excuse for 
to pile on the desires of the flesh ; but, ah ! such an 



304 



excuse as that you will not have the advantage of 
in eternity. Then will come along a converted 
man who, by the grace of God has conquered the 
lusts of the flesh, having them under his heel, and 
speaks of the Saviour's love, and the nearness of 
the Saviour, and his growth onward towards more 
and more perfection in Christ Jesus. Then the 
imaginary elevators, who places God so far away 
from them as though He would be as hard to reach 
as one of the most distant planets, will say, Oh, 
you are compariug yourself with the Saviour, you 
sinner. Why, you have no merit within you, at 
all ; you are not saved for what you can do; you are 
only saved on the merits of the Saviour, and at the 
same time, they are piling their desires of the flesh 
on their old excuse, the merits of the Saviour; yes, 
keep piling them on, but you have an account to 
render for all of them in eternity. St. Paul used 
himself for to explain sin in the nature of man in 
laws, by one law warring against the other; that is 
another good excuse used to pile on the gratification 
of the flesh ; yes, St. Paul was thoroughly convert- 
ed in his heart or else he could never have made 
that explanation, and he was talking to children at 



305 



the time — that is children to the knowledge of 
holiness, therfore using himself to explain the na- 
ture of sin in man, which was about as plain an 
explanation as could be made, and that explanation 
referred to unconverted humanity in general — not to 
himself, for he had obtained the victory through 
Christ Jesus. Yes, man's soul is so contaminated 
with sin that it is part of his soul as well as his 
thought, and it can only be removed by divine ad- 
ministration. All that man does in his own 
strength to get rid of it does him no good whatever; 
he must sacrifice the worldly darlings of his heart 
that conflict with holiness and not pile them on 
the merits of the Saviour ; he will then be cleansed 
by the Holy Spirit. Yes, through the merits of 
the Saviour there was a way opened for us to 
Heaven, and not another person under the heavens 
at the time could have opened it but Him. No, 
we never could have reached Heaven on our 
own merits, but since the Saviour has opened the 
way, on his merits, we also have merit in ourselves, 
which is when we come unto Him in the proper 
spirit, we merit eternal life, and if you do not come 



306 



unto Him you merit nothing — no matter how He 
has been elevated in your imagination. 

For to obtain this salvation and eternal life, our 
soul must be involved in a faith worked by love # 
or grounded in charity, then our soul will be mould- ; 

ed into the nature of the Son of God, or we will 
then be spiritually transformed from the nature of 
a son of man to the nature of a son of God ; then 
when we pass through the law of death in the 
flesh, we will be perfect in that state of existence, 
because we have through nature or God's law 
grown into its perfection ; now, this is not imrnagin- 
ation, but facts; because there is a philosophical 
as well as a moral principle concerned in the sal- 
vation of man ; it is not how regular I can attend 
church, and how much I can give to its support, 
and how moral a life I can lead, and how honest and 
agreeable I can be for to be able to obtaiu salva- 
tion, this all belongs to the moral principle ; the 
philosophical principle for to be satisfied, is that 
we must rise above the nature we are born in, or 
the nature we have inherited, and through the 
satisfaction of philosophical principle, the satisfac- 
tion of the moral principle follows as a natural 



'307 



consequence, being the effects from the philosoph- 
cal. Oh ! yes; the satisfaction of the moral prin- 
ciple then comes very easy to us and gives us the 
greatest happiness, because there has been through 
the satisfaction of the philosophical principle an 
inexhaustable ocean of love placed into our soul, 
which ocean of love is the source from which all 
our motives are drawn for every good moral act 
we do. The philosophical principle is an eternal 
principle in God's law, but the satisfaction of the 
moral principle in God's law is a momentary and 
a daily satisfaction, naturally flowing from the 
eternal philosophical principle. There is too much 
endeavuoriag by man to satisfy the moral princi- 
ple without the philosophical principle being satis- 
fied ; and, Oh ! how many souls go to destruction 
under that delusion; and even the moral princi- 
ple can not be properly satisfied until the philo- 
sophical principle is satisfied. Endeavouring to 
satisfy the moral without the philosophical prin- 
ciple being satisfied, is only cutting off branches 
of sin ; but the satisfaction of the philosophical 
principle strikes at the root of sin, completely and 
forever removing it, and causes you to be a pos- 



308 



sesssor of a pure heart born of the spirit, and an 
heir to eternal life in heaven. 

For to receive this great spiritual illumination, 
within the soul and mind, a person must place 
themselves entirely under the tutorship of the 
Holy Spirit, as the child is placed under the tutor- 
ship of the tutor — placing all self-wisdom and un- 
derstanding to one side, because self-wisdom and 
understanding is unnatural to spiritual wisdom and 
understanding ; then, when that is done, we receive 
spiritual knowledge and wisdom unto eternal life, 
because we then have the advantage of the combi- 
nation of the mind, the heart, and the light of the 
Holy Spirit, which combination is required to work 
out our soul's salvation. 

What a remarkable harmony exists in the minds 
of persons, on spiritual matters, who are reborn of 
the Spirit. They all know the Shepherd's voice, 
as the Saviour says ; and why ? Because they are 
of His flock, which is a type of Heaven's spiritual 
harmony. And what a diversity of opinion exists 
on spiritual matters, among the unconverted. 
What a confusion of thought. And why ? Because 
they are not of the Saviour's flock: they hear not 



309 



His voice ; and that is a type of spiritual confusion 
which would exist in Heaven if they were to be 
admitted into it. 

All men, in their natural condition are in spirit- 
ual confusion in theif* minds as well as in their 
hearts ; that is to say, they are in confusion to holi- 
ness which is enmity to God. Through Adam's 
disobedience we were placed, spiritually, into an un- 
natural condition to man's creation, and when we 
are reborn and enter the Kingdom of Heaven we 
are brought out of our present unnatural con- 
dition to man's creation into a natural condition 
to our then manner of existence. Oh ! what glory, 

joy, and bliss that will then be. Oh ! glory to 
God in the highest ! we should say, for this victory 
through His Son Christ Jesus. 

Is it through fear that I would not indulge in 
this or that if I were tempted ? Is it through hope 
of Heaven that I would not indulge in this or that 
if tempted ? Is it through respect to God that I 
would not indulge in this or that if tempted ? Is 
it through respect of myself that I would not in- 
dulge in this or that if tempted ? Is it through 
honor that I would not indulge in this or that if 



310 



tempted ? Is it through shame that I Would not 
indulge in this or that if tempted? Is it through 
fear of offending God that I would not indulge in 
this or that if tempted ? Is it because I think it is 
wrong that I would not indulge in this or that 
if tempted? Is it my firm will that prevents me 
from indulging in this or that if tempted ? No, 
but because there has been by the grao-e and power 
of God — a mighty truth — and law developed with- 
in my heart and nature that prevents me and gives 
me the greatest joy and pleasure in the manner I 
am restrained or prevented. So then that is the 
secret and mighty truth of Heaven and a transac- 
tion in conformity with nature, I being lifted out of 
confusion through nature. Then there can be seen 
the power of Almighty God. Man was thrown 
into a helpless condition or into confusion within 
his nature by his disobedience, and then when that 
law or truth is developed within man, or that law 
of love which brings into its control all the laws of 
passion in our moral and spiritual existence, and we 
then enter into Heaven, or the next state and law 
of existence. We are through nature lifted out of 
this condition of confusion into harmony and per- 



311 



fection, and are then all love and all perfection, 
then there will be a double guarantee to the purity 
and security of that government, because in the 
first place we have the law of love, or the Spirit of 
God to keep us pure, which is the first guarantee ; 
and in the second place or guarantee we will know 
if we disobeyed the commandments of God, that we 
would be again thrown into confusion and a help- 
less condition within our nature, because God's 
governing power exists in the very nature of our 
existence, which causes that government to be as 
firmly established as are the planets in space. So 
then whoever has not been, through nature, lifted 
out of this confusion by that law I referred to, he 
is still in confusion within his nature from the 
effects of man's first disobedience, and will be in 
confusion in the life to come, and will, therefore, 
not be in harmony in the future life, to be able to 
fall into confusion again in that state of existence, if 
he willed to, by disobeying God's commandments, 
because he is already in confusion from the effects 
of man's first disobedience. I, by the grace of 
God through Christ Jesus, have obtained this great 
victory. So let every one, by the grace of God, 



312 



endeavor to obtain it. You can never rise out of 
this nature of confusion without the assistance of 
God, for you are as helpless as a child in this re- 
spect ; therefore, go to God in the spirit of a child 
to obtain this great victory. 

God does not ask us to be groping along in the 
dark, but He will inform us by His law when we 
are redeemed to Heaven ; and as long as He does 
not inform you by His law that you are redeemed 
you can be certain that you are not redeemed. 

If a law within my heart and nature tells me 
that I am redeemed to Heaven, must I not believe 
it ? For who has control over the laws in my ex- 
istence, I or God ? Why, God. So then it is God 
that is informing me that I am redeemed, which 
makes it genuine. For it is truth, it is nature, it 
is the law of God, it is God, and is written into the 
book of life or nature. So this is the seal to the 
Kingdom of Heaven, and every one that wishes to 
enter therein must, by the grace of God, open that 
seal. Why, what is more truthful and genuine 
than nature. All those imaginary endeavors, 
through the mind, to reach God and the Kingdom 
of Heaven are all vain efforts. God and the 



313 



Kingdom of Heaven must be approached through 
the laws of our heart and nature. 

Without true faith we can never be redeemed and 
saved. 

Noah's faith was the cause, and his rescue from 
the destroying elements of the deluge the effect of 
that cause. 

Abraham's faith was the cause, and the blsssing 
of all the nations of the earth in his seed the effect 
of that cause. 

Lot's faith was the cause, and his rescue from the 
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah the effect of 
that cause. 

M.oses' faith was the cause, and the parting of 
the waters of the sea the effect of that cause. 

Caleb and Joshua's faith was the cause, and their 
entering into the land of Canaan the effect of that 
cause. 

The Israelites and Gideon's faith was the cause, 
and the defeat of the Midianites the effect of that 
cause. 

David's faith was the cause, and the death of 
Goliath the effect of that cause. 

And so it has been with all faith — always re- 



314 



spected hy God, according to the genuineness of the 
faith, and accomplishing that what the nature of 
the faith called for. 

fk Yes, by faith we are also redeemed and saved; but 
where is the gauge in human hands that can measure 
faith ! St. Paul says, "And though I have all faith so 
that I could remove mountains, and have not charity , 
I am nothing." There is an assenting faith and a 

saving faith. The assenting faith may do for the 
«yes of this world, but it is a counterfeit for salva- 
tian and eternal life, and is only a faith in name 
-and not in reality. The assenting faith may cause 
you to say, I believe in God and the Saviour, 
and cause you to join church, and cause you to 
fulfill the moral law, and cause you to defend your 
faith in argument and debate, and still be a coun- 
terfeit for salvation — the heart being void of 
charity. The saving faith starts upon this founda- 
tion : a sacrifice of the worldly darlings of the heart 
and desires of the flesh that conflict with holiness, 
placing yourself, through your heart, entirely into 
the hands of God; and then that faith will be 
accompanied with the Holy Spirit and the saving 
grace of God, and if there never was a spark of 



315 



charity in the heart before this nature of faith will 
very soon develop it. Yes, the carnal elements, 
that are contrary to charity, will melt away before 
its power as the snow before a hot sun ; for it is 
Almighty God that is working within your nature, 
preparing you for the other world ; and then you 
will soon hate the vanity and bonds of sin of which 
your soul has just been freed — which your heart so 
reluctantly departed with at the commencement of 
yotar journey towards the Heavenly gates. But ia 
the assenting faith, it is man that is trying to pre* 
pare himself for Heaven, and Satan smiling at it — 
because that man is firmer in Satan's hands than the 
most wicked; for there is some chance for that 
most wicked man to see his lost condition, and in- 
voke the assistance of God, in the proper spirit, to 
rescue him from it, while the other one is endeavor- 
ing to work his way to Heaven in his own way 
and strength, and is certain never to reach there, 
because he is making no progress in charity, or to- 
wards the Heavenly gates. This charity contains 
more than man, in his natural condition, can com- 
prehend. It is only the Holy Spirit that can 
develop it into the heart of man ; and no man ever 



316 



possessed it, unless it was developed by the Holy 
Spirit. 

Noah did not only say, I believe in God, but he 
proved the genuineness of his faith in action — by 
building the ark ; hence, his reward. 

Abraham did not only say, I believe in God, 
but he proved the genuineness of his faith in 
action — by his willingness to sacrifice his son ; 
hence, his reward. 

Lot did not only say, I believe in God, but he 
proved the genuineness of his faith in action — by 
leaving Sodom and Gomorrah; hence, his reward. 

Caleb and Joshua did not only say, I believe in 
God, but they proved the genuineness of their 
faith, when sent to spy out the land, by not losing 
faith when they seen the walled cities and the war- 
like appearance of thoir enemies; hence, their 
reward. 

The Israelites, under the command of Gideon, 
did not only say, I believe in God. but they proved 
the genuineness of their faith in action, by going 
up to meet the enemy ; hence, their reward. 

David did not only say, I believe in God, 
but he proved the genuineness of his faith in 



317 



action — by going out to meet Goliath; hence, his 
reward. 

And so is it with man at present ; he must not 
only say, I believe in God, but he must act — make 
an earnest start for Heaven — so earnest that he will 
never forget it — before he can expect any reward. 

And, as I said before, so it has been with all 
faith — always respected by God, according to the 
genuineness of the faith, and accomplishing that 
what the nature of the faith called for. 

And so is it, also, with our faith of repentance, 
bringing proper fruit to that repentance, and 
earnestly seeking for a home in Heaven the cause, 
and eternal life in Heaven the effect of that cause ; 
but we must not only say we believe in God, but 
we must prove the genuineness of our faith in 
action — by sacrificing the worldly darlings of our 
heart and the desires of the flesh, before we can 
expect any favor or reward from God, because that 
is the cause, and if you possess not the cause you 
will certainly not receive the effects, — it being 
the only nature of faith that changes our heart 
and nature into the nature of the Son of God; 
and is, therefore, the only nature of faith that will 



S18 



produce for us eternal life ; or this faith is the cause 
and the rising above our carnal nature, or all evil 
and destroying elements in the nature of our moral 
and spiritual existence the effect of that cause ; and 
this is the last and highest order of faith in man ; 
and the €nc? and completion of this jreai religion, and 
£n^A, which has been erecting and building for a#es, 
under the guidance of Almighty God. Yes, it is a 
monument of nature, the foundation of which was 
7ai<f by God, through the instrumentality of man, 
in Abraham, Moses and the Israelites, and com- 
pleted in Christ Jesus. Yes, the Holy Scriptures, 
the word of God, is a monument of nature, the same 
as any visible or material nature, and that is the 
reason its spiritual truth cannot be annihilated by 
man no more than any other nature. Yes, the 
Scriptures axe founded on spiritual nature, they are 
not the spiritual nature but the effects of the spir- 
itual nature. 

Just look at the variation and confusion existing 
in the spiritual nature of this world ; and if the 
soul remains in that state of confusion until death, 
it will also be in confusion when it leaves this body 
or. habitation of clay, and can, therefore, not be 



319 



subject to the law of God, because there is cne 
uniform law of spiritual nature which controls all 
the beings in Heaven, and which creates spiritual 
unity, purity and happiness for all. 

There is no collission in Heaven between spirit- 
ual nature as exists here, even not in the remotest 
thought or feeling ; because if there was, it would 
be a place of unhappiness as well as here, and 
[nature is just such as it is in all cases. If the soul 
is unfit for the nature of Heaven while in the flesh, 
it is also unfit for it when it leaves the flesh ; if the 
soul is carnal in the flesh it is also carnal when it 
leaves the flesh ; if the soul is not placed into the 
controlling law of God, while in the flesh, it will 
also be out of the law when it leaves the flesh ; all 
holy and carnal nature is separated when it leaves 
this world ; so, then, there will be no collision 
between holy and carnal nature; there is just as 
much difference between holy and carnal nature, 
as there is between physical and material nature. 
No matter how refined the carnal nature is, it is 
still carnal and dead to holiness. We also have 
beautiful flowers in material nature, but still they 
are a part of the material nature ; and no matter 



320 



how refined the carnal nature is it can have no part 
with the holy nature because it belongs to the 
carnal. We must know that we are redeemed by 
tasting of the law, in our heart and soul, before we . 
are redeemed or have any part with holy nature ; : 
and it is only the power of the Holy Spirit that 
can develop it in the heart and soul of man. 

Man, you are an important being now, but you 
are very inferior alongside of what you will be in 
the future world if redeemed by the spirit of the 
Saviour. 

There is a great philosophy concerned in the 
salvation of man. We are free-will, responsible, 
moral agents, and our will stands as a barrier be- 
tween God and our nature, and our nature must be 
reached through our will ; we must yield in our 
will through a saving faith, before our nature can 
be moulded into a nature to suit Heaven ; and this 
free-will principle man must possess to be able to 
enjoy what he is enjoying now, and when redeemed 
so that he will be able to enjoy the indescribable 
bliss which the power, wisdom and love of our 
Heavenly Father can bestow upon him in his 



321 



Heavenly home — that higher sphere of existence 
for man. 

When man has his ] ife hid in Christ Jesus ; all 
philosophy concerned in salvation is satisfied; he 
is then in the controlling law of God and the law 
of spiritual unity ; and to be a living branch in 
Christ Jesus, or to have our life hid within Him 
requires a faith such as is described in this book. 
And all ye that have your life hid in Christ Jesus 
take courage, for an eternal world of rest and joy 
awaits you, where God the Father will wipe away 
all tears, and where sorrow is unknown, because a 
continued indescribable bliss will take its place. 

The salvation of man has now been explained 
in this book, through laws and through nature: 
but there is something lacking yet, which is its 
realization within the heart and soul of the uncon- 
verted, because the salvation of man cannot be ex- 
plained into the heart and soul of man by words, 
but it can by the grace of Almighty God, if man 
will only come unto him in the true spirit; and 
when you once realize it within your heart and 
soul, you will receive an idea of the love and 
divine nature of Almighty God, and the closer 



322 



and closer you are drawn to God the closer and 
closer you will endeavor to come to Him, because 
it is altogether lovely to be close to God, within 
our nature. Your soul will then be continually 
feeding and nourishing on the true and spiritual 
manna of Heaven, as the natural body was nour- 
ished in the wilderness, on the natural manna from 
Heaven, during the time the Israelites were seeking 
the land of Canaan. 

Almighty and most merciful God, our Heavenly 
Father, I bless Thee for that saving grace which 
worketh by love ; which has lifted my soul out of 
confusion and ruin, into harmony and immortality, 
unto eternal life; which makes it possible along 
with the nature of my existence to now and eter- 
nally enjoy thy glory, justice, power and wisdom. 
I thank thee, Oh, God, for all the blessings I enjoy' 
at Thy pleasure or grace ; but I cannot thank Thee 
appropriately, alone in words, for these manifold 
blessings, but I can, in word and inspirit; as Thou 
art a creator of hearts so art Thou, also, a searcher 
thereof: Thou knowest if our motives for doing 
good emanates from that fountain of truth and holi- 
ness — love for Christ, righteousness and holiness, 



323 



which is the only incense acceptable in Thy sight. 
Oh ! God, I could not thank Thee in this nature if 
Thou had not placed that love in my heart making 
it possible. Oh ! God, it is the power of Thy 
saving grace, the true manna of Heaven which 
nourishes the soul and worketh faith by love, that 
makes it possible to thank Thee in this nature. 
Oh ! God ! I pray Thee to draw me nearer unto 
Thee by that loving grace. Oh ! God ! I bless 
Thee That I can declare to the world, in spirit and 
in truth, through Thy loving grace, that I am 
redeemed from the powers of darkness, which Thou 
hast manifested to me by Thy law and love. Oh ! 
God ! I pray Thee to be my strength and protect- 
ing shield through all my life, as Thou hast been in 
the past, until I go the way of all the earth, and 
then receive my soul into Thy everlasting rest. 
Amen. 

It is finished ! Whoever can see and understand 
the signs of the times, let them understand. 

The third seal of the Book, referred to in the 
"Revelation of St. John the Divine," is now opened. 
Two seals were opened heretofore. Whoever can 
receive and understand it, let them understand. 



324 



The Book is the way that has been opened to 
Heaven, for mankind, through the Lamb; and 
the birth of the new world, or new order of things, 
that have taken place on earth, all made possible 
by the sufferings and sacrifice of the Lamb, or our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ — He being the only 
one found worthy to open that Book. 

And if you look into the history of the Roman 
Catholic Church, until the Reformation, you look 
on the first seal as opened. 

And if you look into the history of the Reforma- 
tion, you look on the second seal as opened. 

And the production of this book is the opening 
of the third seal, and a fulfilling of Scripture in 
general. 

And the next seal that will be opened is the 
fourth seal, which will be opened in the manner as 
described in that seal, in the Book of Revelation — 
causing death, as described — and death will give 
Hell its portion. 

Oh ! flee the wrath to come, and taste of the true 
Mercy, Justice and Love of God. 



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